A different story: the beginning
by hope86
Summary: AU/What happens when a slayer with the sight is the new chosen instead of Kendra? no mary sue ...Future Spike/Oc.New translation!Thanks to Vogue91!
1. 1:Julien

**A different story: the beginning of the story.**

_**Disclaimers: All the characters are from Joss Whedon. Julien and Sam are from me.**_

_**Thanks to my new translator Vogue91!**_

**1: Julien**

It was happening again, she felt.

Something terrible was about to happen.

She didn't know what or when, but she knew that her life would have been totally haggard.

She dreamt again that night, not a normal dream, no.. this was one of _those_ dreams, which used to persecute her night after night until she listened to them.

The ones that, sometimes, appeared even during the day.

It wasn't possible.. all those stupid pills, the doctors, the cures.. what did those help to? Nothing!

Seven years and she was still the crazy Julien, the strange, the fool.

Why she couldn't be the normal one, just once?

Julien laughed thinking about it. Normal has never been her word, she could just act the part, pretend to be like this, like she tried all life long, even if on thirteen talking about life was just a bit ridiculous.

Her problems started eight years before, when she discovered that dreams something before it happens is not a good thing.

For weeks she dreamt about a plane, a big white plane with red stripes on its side.

There were a lot of people aboard and everybody was talking and they laughed before the plane took off, but then..

Suddenly the plane stopped and it started to fall into the ocean and everybody yelled, cried and the shouts echoes in her mind until the plane didn't disappear.

So the dream changed and Julien was among a lot of people she knew: her grandma, her uncles and her mother, who took her hand and cried in the tissue.

They were all so sad that Julien wanted to cry just for looking at them.

She woke up into the tears, calling her parents, shivering for the fear and her mother run worried into her bedroom.

She kept her tight and she listened to her while she stuttered her dream with incomprehensible words and she told her to be quiet, coz everything was supposed to be good, but it wasn't true..

Two weeks later, a summer morning like everyone else, Julien was having breakfast looking the TV, when suddenly her vision hit her again.

Everything seemed so real, the plane, the people, for a moment the child thought it was on TV, but it was just on her mind.

When everything stopped, she had stomachache and her head was turning while her body was crossed by strong shivers.

Her mother found her out like this, sat at the table with a fixed gaze, and she hugged her '_What's happening July?'_ the quivering voice and the hands so sweet on her black hairs.

The airport was full of people, families that were living, friends who greet each other with a hug, big signs with shining write on it, and she looked everything paying attention while her mother carried her through the aisles.

He grandpa was waiting for her in front of a big glass window.

He was a man so kind, he never got angry with her, he squinted to her and told her that his daughter too was a pest when she was a child.

"_Hi July" _he greeted her, kissing her on the cheek _"Look what grandpa took to you"_ he gave to her a stuffed bunny, a big white bunny with long black ears and July took it, happy, and tightened to her chest, thanking her grandpa with a big kiss on his cheek.

While the adults were talking, July started looking around.

Then she saw it, the big plane which persecuted her dreams.

It was there, just over the window.

Her body started quivering again, took by panic she tried to get free by the hand that was keeping her.

"_What's the problem July?"_

"_Plane!" _tried to explain the child, but her mother didn't understand and July cried and shouted when she understood that her grandpa was supposed to go just there. It wasn't useful.

A few days later the place she dreamt became real and everybody was there crying and looking the hole in the ground, but into the hole now there was a big brow box, was her grandpa there?

Her mother told her that he went away, but she didn't understand well where. Was he into the sea with other people? That was the reason why he couldn't come back?

July couldn't understand and her mother didn't want to explain a thing to her "_Shut up Julien._"

It was the first time her mother treated her like that, the first time she called her like that, but from that day on, everything changed..

Nobody called her July again smiling, her father didn't even look at her and her mother was always angry.

The only things which went on with no changes were her dreams, every night more frightening.

Sometimes she woke crying, and she snuffed out the sobs on her stuffed bunny, sometimes her shouts were so strong that they woke he parents, and those were the worst nights because her mother got angrier

"_Stop it Julien! Can't you understand? It's terrible, you have to stop making this dreams, it's wrong!"_

She yelled at her for hours, frightening so much that she couldn't sleep anymore.

And sometimes, if she was really angry, she carried her out of the bed and forced her to stay in punishment, kneeled on the ground for hours, or she looked at her crying and Julien felt so bad about being so mean to make her mother cry.

She started pretending, unless she tried doing it.

It wasn't useful.

They always knew the truth.

When she was six, began the doctors, she couldn't remember the utility of the half of them.

Everybody said the same thing: the child was lying , she was looking for some attention, she had hallucinations, nightly dread or, the best theory, she was schizophrenic.. so Julien became a liar or mad and she didn't know which the best one was.

When she was ten, she was so full of downers that she didn't understand the half of the thing that people told her, but dreams didn't stop... never.

When she was twelve while she was sitting alone into a corner in the park, where her class used to spend the break, she suddenly got the light... it could seem ridiculous considering the life she spent till that moment, but while she looked to a teacher who was soothing a child with a peeled knee, she understood.

Her parents didn't love her.

They didn't even want her.

Rather, nobody in the world wanted or loved her.

The sudden realization made her so sad that she started crying, but nobody soothed her, nobody ever sooth the strange Julien.

But it didn't care. Because that day Julien decided that if nobody loved her she didn't have to care about it, after all she was always been alone. And if her parents hated her because of her dreams, though them, because she couldn't stop them.

So she stopped taking all the medicines and she started again pretending, now to be happy.

Now Julien Moore was thirteen, she was just three feet and twenty-eight inches and she got blue eyes and straight black hairs, long until a half of her back.

In order to annoy her mother, she dyed it, now they were crossed by big blue-neon locks, but the woman just looked at her without saying a word. Although the reaction has been a bit disappointing, she liked her hairs, so she kept them.

She wasn't exactly unhappy, she was just a bit... empty, but she couldn't explain what this really meant.

It was about two weeks that thing were changing again.

She felt it into deep, everything in her world was about to change.. she didn't know if it was worse or better.

It was always her to come and see her, a little girl with blond hairs and green eyes. She fought against a kind of monster, and she was really strong, Julien never saw a girl fighting that way, but although that, the monster killed her.

Julien looked at the girl laid in a water pool, and she felt so sad about her

Then the girls moved, her lifeless eyes fixed in the Julien ones _"You're the next one"_ told her, and everything disappeared.

When she woke, she wasn't afraid, just a weird feeling of anxiety, of expectation.

That day the vision suddenly repeated.

A moment before she was filling a glass with orange juice and a moment after she was stuck into her dream and the girl's voice echoed into her brain till it hurt.

She heard afar the sound of a broken glass and a new voice arrived into her vision.

Something started shaking her hardly, her teeth chattered painfully and the dream suddenly disappeared, leaving her with a hard headache.. her mother got her tight into her arms, screaming against her.

"You're hurting me" she ordered her avoiding her taking.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" her look was so disgusted that she boggled.

"I've no idea of what you're talking about."

"Rather you know, stop it! You have to stop doing it before it's too late."

"Leave me alone!" she felt oddly defeated, a part of her still hoped that her mother would embrace her, forgiving her for something that she has any control of, instead another part yelled to the first to let go impossible things

" Did you take your medicines?"

"No and I won't. They're not useful."

" I know."

For some absurd reason, that sentence hurt her more than the rest.

"Do you think I didn't understand? What you are, what you do? You... predict the future Julien!" she whispered the last part like pronouncing those words was a heavy sin "And you mustn't do it, you can't, don't you understand? Is inhuman, monstrous.. it's like witchcraft, it's forbidden!" her voice quivered and her eyes became dewy, but Julien just felt the desire to laugh on her face because she was the one who didn't understand, she always was it.

"Do you think I like it? It's not something I can control I haven't got a switch in my head I can turn off! Don't you understand I hate it, I hate these dreams, these visions, but I was born like that I can do anything! I'd like you to help me instead of judge me, I just want.. I just want you to love me..."

Her mother covered the mouth with a trembling hand, and hot tears slipped on her cheeks "Oh Julien..." told her among sobs "you have to understand me..." she reached for her and held her tight in her arms, like a lot of years before and Julien found in that embrace all the hope she lost "how could I love a thing like you?"

Julien petrified, but her mother held her stronger "You're this family's damnation, a demon into a child's body, we fought, hoped, prayed for you, to save you, but look at yourself. You're damned forever, your place is into the hell."

The woman loosed the embrace and went far, her painful expression would stay fixed in Julien's mind all her life long. "Go away now Julien, leave this home and never come back. Please."

Julien's world seemed to have an end in that moment

She roamed under the rain for hours, without knowing where to go, but she didn't dare to cry, she would never dare, not for her, not for that horrible woman.

At the end the moment arrived, the moment when the prediction became real and a man in black tie introduced to her such Sam Zabuto, the Watcher

He took her into a cafeteria, but he didn't ask about her wet clothes or her roaming alone across the roads, he just smiled to her with indulgence

"I guess you already know why I'm here."

"Why should I know?"

"Your gift surely showed a change of these proportions."

Julien knew what the man was talking about, but she pretended to be confused.

"Gift?"

"I'm talking about clairvoyance, obviously, it's more than two-hundred years that isn't born a chosen one with the view gift. You're a lot special Julien."

"Gift? I thought it was a curse."

"Oh no, your visions..."

"They're terrible and I don't want to talk about it. What's a chose one? Chosen to do what?"

"To kill vampires, each generation got have been chosen and after you another one is supposed to come."

"And what if I don't want to do it? If I don't care about vampires?"

"This is impossible, is your destiny and you can't..."

"And the visions? Can you stop them?"

He seemed almost astonished by her question, like she asked him to kill her

"What?"

"It's a clear and simply question, can you stop my visions or not?"

"Your gift is a part of you, you can't just erase it, it could be suppressed with the right substances, but even like that it's not sure that it doesn't find other ways to show, and I don't want to talk about the consequences that a choose like that can have on your mind or body. At the council we can help you to understand and use your gift, we can..."

"No. I don't like my gift, I don't want it. So that's the agreement, you make my visions disappear and I make the chosen one and I kill whoever you want, okay?"

" This is..."

" It's a proposition, take or leave, so?"

"Okay, however you want..."

"Well, so compliments, you just found your new chosen one"

**tbc...**


	2. 2:What's my line?

**2:What's my line?**

"Well. I guess is right to say that this is your home now"

Sam brought her without talking, he didn't ask a thing to her, no explanation.

He just asked her if she had a place to stay, and after her silence, he brought her to his home.

Julien was so exhausted that she fell immediately asleep.

The day after, her slayer life started officially.

Her watcher gave her a book to read about her origins or something, but the girl threw it into a drawer without thinking twice, something so old and big was surely kind of a bore... a lot more interesting were the fighting lessons and the weapons.

Sam gave her a stick like the Little John's one in Robin Hood and the fantastic thing was to discover that she was became a kind of a super girl!

Now she was very strong, with a kick she made practically fly away the man, anything like that had never happened to her.. sure, she was still clumsy.

The first vampire she faced was really a spot for her. They hit for a lot, some punches, kicks and even if she underwent a little more of what expected, she thought she was going very well, till the stake... it slipped through her hand!

Further she stumbled on it and she fell such a sack of potatoes, also the vampire laughed at her. Luckily Sam threw her another one, so she could try to put him on it, the third time.. it's wasn't easy at all find the heart of those... things!

Sam and her tide up a lot the next weeks, for the first time Julien wasn't alone at all and this soothed her, but the watcher seemed not to understand the wound she had to wear.

And that was the only argue they couldn't take without bickering.

A few days after the man coming, visions started again clearly as they had never been and if Sam wanted her to reflect, to make her mind stronger to dominate her gift, Julien just wanted them to disappear.

The medicine he promised to her was late and she knew that he watcher didn't want her to take it, ma she would never gave up on it, never.

Visions had to disappear and if this stuff, this _dasila_ or what could help her, so she was going to take it. But Sam didn't understand, he couldn't, where he saw a big gift, a help for people, a way to be always over the demons... Julien saw just a damnation, a cross to wear and she wanted the weight to disappear.

But she couldn't blame him.. .she never explained to him the reasons of her choose, she never talked about her visions because of the fear that one day even the last person in the world who soothe her, would look at her disgusted discovering what she really was.

So they keep on fighting day by day.

Months later, Julien received her first real mission and she was been sent in a city called Sunnydale..

'_A powerful obscure force is going to topple on the hell's mouth you duty is to stop it, good luck'_

"Moron" mumbled her for the third time. It was easy for him, what had he got to do? Nothing.

He was sitting at his home, drinking a cup of tea! An obscure force.. could someone be more unspecific than this?? Which obscure force? Where? When? And overall.. how the hell could she stops it??

'_I can't tell you everything July, or you'll never become a mature slayer'_

"Well, thank you very much!"

Unless there she shouldn't pretend to read those boring books that her watcher went on saddling her, they seemed endless and, if everything was okay, Sam promised her medicine! It was perfect!

Almost.. because she had no idea of what she was supposed to do...

So now she was roaming through the road of that small city, and she didn't know where to go.

She travelled it down at all in three hours, she examined all the shops, ate a lot of junk that could now come back to life into her stomach waiting the sun falling.

Now she had just to find some demon to kick around for some information and everything was supposed to be okay.

By the corner of her eye she saw a blonde girl who looked familiar, going into the skating track, and this was okay.. but the track was closed to the public.

The brunette decided to follow her, just to take a look..

It seemed there wasn't something demoniac but, okay the girl was skating alone in a closed track, but she wasn't there to judge the hobbies of someone else... while she was apart, thinking about going away or not, the blonde was attacked by a big man with long curly hairs and a terrible scar on its eye, Julien was in the wings to defend her, but she was anticipated by.. a vampire.

A nice black haired vampire, fashionable, but a vampire.

So the other.. .was a vampire too, right? She waited hidden while they exchanged effusions and when they got enough she followed the dark haired.

He led her into a bar called "To Willy", the owner didn't seem anything of special, but it seemed the right place to find some information.

Julien eavesdropped a bit the conversation between them and she discovered that the vampire's name was Angel and he looked for information by a Taraka's order, or something.

She stayed there hidden for some minutes, but she didn't discover anything useful.

But when she heard fight's noises, she came into the pub, hitting the vampire on its face.

Immediately she played on her advantage and hit him another time making him fall inside a cage into the pub's backroom, she closed him inside, looked at him roaring powerless.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I don't think you care a lot about it, where's your friend?"

"Let Buffy goes! Or I'll kill you."

It seemed that guy couldn't lose "Sure, first you must try coming out of there...further I don't think we'll see again."

She pointed the window because of the sun would surely killed him, and she went away laughing.

She decided to control the nice dark haired's home, maybe there she would find something useful.

It wasn't hard to find, she just needed to threaten a bit the guy from the bar, and a few minutes later she opened the flat's door.

The blondie she saw before was sleeping peacefully.

Again, she was hit by the familiarity of that face, but Julien had no idea of where she saw it.

Shaking her shoulders, she decided that the thing wasn't much important, she was however a vampire, and her duty was clear.

She took a stick from the ground and she hit her hardly, like previewed Buffy leaped and avoided the knock.

"You must be number two. Thank you for waking me up, but I prefer the radio alarm!"

She was really familiar, but it was impossible, she didn't know any vampire!

"Who are you?"

She asked it instinctively, without thinking.

"Who am I? you attacked me! Who the hell are you?"

Vampires in that place were really stupid, well someone you don't know come and looks for you in order to kill you, who do you want she is? Wonder Woman?

"I'm Julien, the slayer"

Well? What about that look? Didn't she still understand a thing?

"Listen to me lass, it's a good apology, but try to use it with someone who's not the real slayer"

"First I'm not a lass and second don't be fool, there's just one and that one is me"

"Are you gonna stop with that? Never heard about a child slayer and however it doesn't matter, because it's not you"

Well, the conversation was becoming even more childish, but.. now she was thinking about.. and that girl.. no, never mind.

"Ok let's do in that way. Now we're going to my watcher and we solve the matter."

"After you."

Things had become really complicated..

It seemed the blondie, Buffy, was the slayer, better, the ex slayer, seeing that she was dead.. for a few minutes sure, but however she died so the slayer changed and now they were two.

And if this is not enough, the vampire she just killed, Angel or what, was Buffy's boyfriend, could it be more weird? So they had to go taking him back, and he was disappeared! Abducted by a guy named Spike (what a name?) who wanted kill him to cure his woman... did he lose something?

However the result was that Buffy had not a fondness for her.. on the contrary.

At the moment Julien was sheltered into a aisle on the school's last floor, where luckily there wasn't somebody, so she could nap in peace.

Giles the blondie's watcher, was interred in library trying to understand what kind of rite this Spike would have made and overall where, allowing them a pair of free hours.

All things considered it wasn't so bad, Julien was hopeful.

The only one mistake have been Angel, but it was justified, wasn't it? A vampire with soul.. Sam would have been astonished! Something there wasn't on his books, he would feel bad for this new!

Well, there was also the silly thing that she tried to kill the slayer, but it was a justifiable mistake to, wasn't it? There wasn't supposed to exist another chosen! Yes, surely she would get the desired reward.

Just when she was about to fall asleep ease, some shoots and shouts made her jerk. _"And now what is happening?"_

She ran down the stairs, jumped the last flight and she found herself overcrowded in chaos.

A pair of guys were down with their hands over the head, someone else was shouting, a girl seemed to be faint and the rest was escaping in every direction.

Julien looked around and saw Buffy a few meters far.

A red haired woman dressed such a policeman was drawing a gun on her face. Without thinking twice the brunette disarmed her with a kick and knocked her down with another one.

The woman immediately got up again and took a boy, threatening him with a knife in order to ensure her escape, Julien chased after her trying to catch her, but she lost her some meters far.

"You made her escape? The novice make a mistake again!

Moaned the blondie once she knew the new.

"Buffy.."

"Look, why don't you stop it? If you've got some problems with me.."

She was interrupted by three boys coming in

One of those was Willow, a very kind and smart red hairs who she met while Giles tried to solve the situation and, it seemed, she was Buffy's best friend, or something.

She didn't know the others and she didn't care at all to do, but it seems they were all obliged to introduce themselves.. what a joy!

So Xander and Cordelia joined their researches talking about a weird worm man.. in that city everybody knew about the slayer? Did she publish some announcement on the newspaper to do it?

"Anyway, I discovered something more about the rite. It seems it request the presence of Drusilla's sire and it has to happen into a church on a full moon night"

"So, tonight" completed Julien instead of him and Buffy seem suddenly worried a lot

"Mr. Giles, did you told is requested Drusilla's sire?!

"Yes, I guess so"

"And would this rite kill him?"

Giles nodded confused and Buffy seemed to turn pale "Angel, he's Drusilla's sire"

"Oh-oh" Julien already knew what Buffy would say and in fact a few minutes later they were running to Willy's bar looking for some information and all in order to save a vampire, silly things, she wasn't paid enough for this.

Later on Buffy and her kept Willy by the throat.. literally and Julien couldn't wait for that story come to an end, she just wanted to go home having a hot bath and listening some music.

"Ok, let's go"

"_Let's go? Let's go where?"_ she lost the whole conversation "_let's go where and doing what?" _why she never paid some attention?

"What?"

"We have to go, or Angel could die"

"Wait! Don't we need a plan or something? We can't come in like that! What if it's a trap?" Buffy looked at her like she was the most stupid creature in the world "Well, we're going to play it by ear"

The blondie turned back and went out after Willy, Julien looked at them considering two options.

She could come back to the watcher asking for some advices, but what if the girl died meanwhile? She must help her "_damn it" _Julien took her decision and she followed Buffy

The barman led them to a small forsaken church near the Bronze.

At the entry they were sided by two vampires with muscle look, but extremely stupid expression.

With them, the fake policewoman who attacked Buffy at school and a man she never saw before, with big glasses and a very fine brown suit. He didn't seem to be a vampire, neither a demon.

Julien examined him better and disgusted she saw the worm that walked on the man's face.

"_It's awful! He must be that man which those two guys were talking about before.. it's disgusting!"_

"What are you doing here?" one of the two vampires asked Willy, who seemed to frighten, but then he regained immediately

"I brought the slayer, like Spike asked.. well really today there was a special offer: two slayers" he ended laughing and Julien found hard to restrain by kicking him

It seemed to work, the four led them inside, but coming in was never a problem.. the problem was coming out alive.

At least they weren't disarmed, she hid two stakes in her boots, one for her and one for the blondie if she hadn't do the same, so they had at least some chance to succeed!

Finally they were led inside the chapel.

Angel and the one who must be Drusilla were tied on the altar and an horrible stiletto keep tighten their hands, probably moving energy by one to the other.

When they came in a third vampire turned back coming down from the altar and going to them

"Did you take the slayer?? Now?"

He must be Spike, nice.. cool hairs!! Glowing blond, yes, Julien appreciated. And the jacket, who knows where he bought it, she look for something like that for months, but she couldn't find it.

It would be really a pity to smash him.

"And who the hell is this other snot?"

Maybe she wouldn't be so sorry

"I'm not a snot by the way, I'm a slayer too"

Such an answer the blond burst out in a strong laugh. No she wouldn't be sorry at all to kill him.

"You? Did you see yourself? You mustn't go out on night, don't you know around is full of cruel monsters ready to attack you?"

"Thank you for the advice, but if everyone is fool as you are, they don't scare me a lot"

He laugh again and his outlines loosed in the vampire's one.

"You're brave, I'm almost sorry about killing you now, in a pair of years it would be funnier" he pretended to think about it and after a moment he shake his shoulder "Patience" he moved his hand and the woman behind them took the gun out, pointing it on Julien

Buffy and her acted together.

The brunette disarmed with a kick the woman while the blondie hit Spike on his face, making him go back

Meanwhile Julien took out the stakes she hid and gave one to her companion who turned back and drove it into the heart of a vampire behind their shoulder. Julien impressed did the same, but she took the wrong aim, the vampire smiled and hit her, the brunette didn't surrender and the second time hit a bull's eye who became ash.

"So you're not useless as I thought" shouted at her the blondie

"See? Appearances lie"

Without knowing how, Buffy and her exchanged place and while the last faced the policewoman who had took out of her shirt some sharp blades, Julien was unfortunately in front of Spike.

She tried to hit him, but he seemed not to feel it, he wet some imaginary blood of his lip below with his hand's thumb and he went around her like a lion with his prey.

"Listen lass, you can see I'm really busy now, so why don't you stay here good and wait someone of the others to kills you?"

"What? I'm the slayer and I'm here to kill you, have you got some problems understanding it?"

Sure she was good in pretending, but she wasn't fool, she wasn't far ready to a fight with such a demon. He would sure defeated her in a few minutes, but at least she would earn some time for Buffy.

"Well, good, but listen for a second. I'm the slayer killer, do you understand? Not the one of the snots who plays with sharp stakes. To kill someone like you would ruin my reputation, so go away ok? Let's do this.. if you go for tonight I'll let you live, I'm going to come when you'll be a real slayer"

Was he saying he didn't fight with her cause she was too weak? Julien never felt more humiliated than this,

Took by angry she threw herself on him, she hit him with a kick, but both he punches was been parried. Spike pushed her back and laughed again "Now I'm tired, why don't you go sleeping?" the kick after that hit her on the stomach making her fly against the wall, that kick was enough to put her k.o. definitively.

She heard Buffy scream something and she saw her hitting Spike, than nothing.

She woke a little bit after the end of the battle, Buffy was calling her name.

The girl groaned touching her painful stomach

"Go down, I think you broke some rib.. novice" she told it joking and Julien understood that for some weird reasons they became friends.. or at least they didn't hate each other anymore

"And what about Spike?"

"He won't annoy us for a lot" she answered looking to the organ which fell on the floor

"It should have hurt him"

"I hope so"

Angel and her help her standing up and went to Giles in order to told him what was happened..

The day after Julien greeted everybody and then she went calling a taxi which would take her to the airport and then at home.

Buffy reached her out of the school.

"So we're going to see to the next obscure force I guess" told her Julien smiling

"I guess so.. and thank you for helping me saving Angel"

"It's been good, it's not matter of day saving a boy so nice"

"Yeah, you're right..see you, so"

"Yes, see you soon"

The taxi stopped in front of them and Julien rose back

Buffy looked at her going away greeting with a hand

While she was looking at Sunnydale going away by the glass of the plane she felt strangely sad, almost homesick, but she couldn't understand why.

By the rest, she solved the case, she must be happy, now she would get her medicine and everything was supposed to be good..

Once she was in Los Angeles she went at her watcher's home, coming in she called him with loud voice

"I hope you kept your promise, cause I'm already back"

Sam was sat on the sofa, dip in reading of a big book in who knows which language, but he closed it immediately when he saw her coming in and he smiled to her "So everything was fine?"

"Everything good..almost..however I have a lot of things to tell you! But first.. my reward?"

The man sighed, but he put out of a table's drawer a red velvet wrapping and he gave to her

Julien opened it and inside she saw the phials fill of a shining blue liquid

"Is that?" she asked examining one

"Yes is.. it was used by very ancient population on people with your same gift. They saw it such the sign of the presence of a demon among them, something to destroy, do you understand? They saw it such a terrible disease, something that should be cured. The diasila inhibited the clairvoyant's power, it doesn't really stop your visions, but just your power to see and remember them, can you understand?"

"No"

"You'll still have your visions, but you won't notice. They'll come just into the heat of the night, into the deepest sleep, the diasila will work leaching them, but doing it will carry you into a kind of coma during the all vision, when you'll wake up you won't remember anything, but you're going to feel the effects.. headache, nausea.. the more the vision will be strong and clear, the more the symptoms will appear.

"Ok, good"

"Julien is dangerous, I still think it would be better.."

"No! I won't come back, this is what I always desired"

"You could die, I made some research. Those clairvoyance.. they all died, someone when they were still sane.. but so weak that they couldn't even talk, someone else of craziness, Julien that thing could destroy you"

"My big gift could too"

She nodded to Sam and went to her room.

There, laid on the bed, with music in her ears, she looked the phials for long hours.. under the light it seems to shine.

At the end, when out was dark, she pulled off the cap and drunk it in a mouthful.

**tbc...**


	3. 3:Becoming

**3:Becoming.**

"July, can you come here a second?"

A lot of months had passed since Julien discovered she wasn't the only one slayer in the world, from then on she trained with much more care, so she wasn't less than Buffy.

At least on sturdiness...

The theoretical study didn't make a lot of progress.

Sam convinced himself to teach her the Latin, and for the girl it was a real tragedy, she could understand the math, grammar, even the history could have its importance, but the Latin.. who still spoke that language? It was absurd!

Hearing her watcher's voice the brunette put down the crossbow she was exercising with and went into the salon hoping not to find a mountain of books to study.

"Well, you're here, look at this."

Sam gave her a newspaper's page, it seemed they found an old statue in Sunnydale.. interesting... did those things go on the news? It didn't happen a lot, even if it was the hell's mouth. Or was it a statue so ugly to deserve a picture? Well, try to understand some journalist!

"You'll understand is deeply important go to Sunnydale and warn the slayer about the danger."

The man got an expression so serious that Julien really didn't feel to tell him that she had no idea of what he was talking about…

"Sure, I'll leave right now to.. ehm.. foil the danger."

"You have got no idea of what this statue represent, do you?"

"Actually no, but I can pretend if it makes you happier."

Sam sighs pouring a cup of hot tea "That is Acathla's grave, a demon with the power of suck in the whole world in a hellish dimension where every creature will bear unspeakable tortures. He was been killed by a knight and buried where not humans neither demons could find him."

"With compliments for a work well made."

Sam gave her a nasty look, but he didn't answer.

"You'll leave immediately and you'll bring this with you."

He gave her a very simply sword with golden hilt.

"It's the sword blessed by the knight who killed Acathla. It should be able to repeat the miracle... I hope."

"You hope?"

"We can't be sure of anything in this world" he smiled sipping his tea. Sometimes that man was really unbearable.

"Well, so I'll go, I prepare a bag and I get underway."

She went into her room, but she didn't take a lot with her, some clothes, the sword and the dasila, two phials.. she didn't know how much she would stay in Sunnydale, but at the most Sam could send more.

Since she began taking it her vision had disappear, but instead of started some unpleasant side effects... such the headaches. They were frequent and painful and there wasn't medicines that could ease them, sometimes they were so painful that she threw up and then she felt even worse because it started too making her feel bad, but she liked it the most at all.

She almost never told Sam about her aches, the watcher worried too much and if he would notice the effect the dasila had on her he could even obliged her stop taking it.

A few minutes later she was ready to leave.

"So... be careful July, I beg you" the man smiled to her.

"Ok, don't worry" she made a victory sign and then she disappeared over the door.

On evening she was just arrived into the small city and this time she already knew what to do: find Buffy.

She set an ambush for her near the park, and the girl almost hit her on her face.

"I could hit you, do you know?" told her the blondie smiling.

"I was testing you."

"And did you contended with a long travel on plane just to make yourself been slapped?"

"Really not... but I'd like to find your watcher first, I don't want to tell the same story a thousand times."

"Ok, it would be better to wait tomorrow in the morning" answered Buffy and she offered to host her at her home for the night.

It was surely a long night, the blondie updated her on everything that had occurred during her absence.

A lot thing, and it seemed all dreadful.

To start, Angel wasn't Angel anymore. Some way, he lost his soul, coming back being Angelius, the very worst version and unfortunately obsessed by the idea of making Buffy suffer... even if it wasn't clear how did he lose it.

The blondie seemed not to wanna talk about it, and Julien didn't want to strict her.

Like it wasn't enough the vampire joint again his old companions Spike and Drusilla and if the first seemed to be out of the games after the last accident with the pipe organ, the second one had back all her power becoming a really dangerous enemy.

Into the battle between them, the whole guys have been threatened and hurt in many ways, but Giles paid the highest price: his girlfriend Jenny Calendar, had been killed by Angel while she tried to reenact the rite to give him back his soul.

A lot of bad news, certain...

The only one thing good was that maybe Willow succeeded completing the woman's work, give Angel his soul back would solve a lot of problems at that moment.

The day after Julien found the whole group into the library and told them everything.

Mr. Giles seemed to be worried just as Sam and this made her feel a strange anxiety, which she had to add her terrible headache, it persecuted her since she woke in the morning.. it was clear that even if she couldn't see it, her visions went on harrying her and something told her that the apocalypse coming could be the reason of it.

"_Another good reason to solve the things"_ she kept repeating, but there was something in her, such a weird anxiety, like things were about to fall over without she can do something.

It was then that Buffy ran into library, informing her that Angelius challenged her and that night she would go and face him... alone.

"I need you here, if something goes wrong you must defend the others."

She wasn't made for this, Julien couldn't explain it, but she was sure she wasn't set to this.

She couldn't defend people, she wasn't trained to do it, and the blondie wanted to entrust to her her best friends? It was absurd! But Buffy was inflexible.. there wasn't any chance to convince her and so, after a few minutes, the blondie had disappeared over the door, leaving her alone with the others.

"Ok guys, Buffy has confidence in us so let's do something" the red haired started giving everybody an order, she understood they had to do a rite to give Angel back his soul.

If it worked, things were supposed to be fixed.. if it didn't work.. well, Julien didn't want to think about it.

With Xander's help, Willow prepared a kind of magical circle on the library's table and she sat in the middle preparing papers with the spell and that crystal ball she couldn't remember the name.. globe of? What! It didn't matter at all...

Xander stayed on the shelf, he seemed to have some doubts about the spell, and not such _it work or it doesn't, _they were the most doubts such _I'd like to kill him and thank you so much_, but nobody seemed to care about him so Julien shut up.

Giles went nigh the table ready to play his part in the spell, while Cordelia lit up the candles....

The spell started.

Julien felt the anxiety growing up, something was about to happen, she was sure, a strong pang hit her head, she never had something like this before.

For a moment she didn't see and when the pain finally disappeared, the library's doors opened wide.

Vampires fell by every side of the room, two of them ran down the stairs and attacked the boys, Giles set in the middle in order to defend them, shouting them to escape.

Julien grasped a stake ready to fight.

"_You cannot fail, not now"_ she started repeating in her mind and the thought to defend all those people made the adrenaline flows in her veins.

She held the nearest vampire and hurled him against a wall, she turned to the second and hit him on his chest with fastness and precision turning him in dust, meanwhile the first got back and hit her on her face.

She fell on the ground and the other was immediately on her, hit her on her belly, but she took him by his legs and made him fall back, tipped the positions over and after she beat him on his head she cindered him.

Around she heard the other's cries.

She stood up and took the vampire Giles was taken by, and the demon hit her with his elbow making her lose the take, another nudge, now on her face, made she beat painfully the wall, she moved him away from her with a kick and taking him again she left him into the librarian's office, breaking the glass.

Another attacked her right after hitting her on her head, she lost her balance and falling she banged her side against the table, the pain left her stunned.

The vampire moved near and he was sided by the other one that meanwhile came out the office, Julien tried to stand up again and she seemed to hear the door's opening's noise, for a moment she hoped it would be Buffy coming back and help her, but the one who put herself in front of her was not the blonde slayer.

She was a nice woman with long black hair and green eyes, she wore a long red dress, Julien saw her the last time she was in Sunnydale.. that was Drusilla.

The vampire clapped with pleased expression "Stop it now" she said, and everybody stopped.

She went near Julien, which meanwhile stood herself up again and laughing she motioned to fight her.

The girl tried to hit her, but Drusillla avoided the blow easy, parried her punches and pushed her such a rag doll, Julien had no doubts: she couldn't win on her, she wasn't able enough.

She just hoped the others would escape at all, she didn't hear them shouting so maybe they did.. or they died trying.

The brunette tried to hit the vampire with another kick and now she hit her on her face, making her withdraw for the pain, but it was just a moment, she had no time to take advantage of it that Drusilla was on her.

She took her throat and banged her against the table chocking her, Julien tried to get free, but nothing seemed to be able to scratch the vampire.

"Look at me" she whispered and Julien couldn't do anything but obey and stare her in her eyes "Be in my eyes.. be in me" kept on saying, but instead of killing her, Drusilla laughed "Miss Edith told you would come, but I didn't believe her. I though she lied, but you're here.

You're like me, aren't you? You talk with the stars too" she threw her down and started go round laughing, Julien had no idea of what she was talking about, she just knew she was unable to move.

At the end the vampire seemed to be tired of her games, she stared her like she was deciding to kill her or not

"No" she said at the end "stars say it's not the moment yet" her wicked smile was the last thing Julien saw before she fainted.

She woke with a terrible headache and a huge bump on her nape, she was laid down on a hospital's bed, but she didn't know how she came there.

"How are you?"

Xander sat on a chair near the bed, he had bad bruises on his face and a plaster arm.

"I got headache."

"You received a good smack, we're all a bit bruised, but the important thing is that we're all alive.. more or less."

A weird expression crossed her face and Julien froze "More or less?" she repeated. Xander nodded "Is Willow..she.. has a cranial trauma and she didn't wake, doctors say that the more time passes the less are the chance she rally."

His eyes became wet and the girl felt strangely embarrassed "And Buffy?" she asked to avoid the talk

"I don't know. I don't know at all what's happening, but it seems like the police is looking for her, but she's strong. Soon she will contact us."

The brunette nodded "Well, give me my clothes, it's time to act."

Into the aisle they crashed just with Buffy who seemed luckily to be okay, after a short embrace Xander led them both into the red haired's room.

By seeing her so pale and hurt Julien felt terribly guilty "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

Buffy smiled at her and shook her head "You did what you could, I'd never had to fall into Angel's trap."

Into the room there was also Oz and Cordelia, the only one who missed was the watcher.

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked looking around and when nobody of them could answer the room became even fuller of tension.

Buffy and her went at Giles home in order to take the weapons and be sure that the man wasn't back there, but the house was sadly empty.

They were both unsure about what to do, they crossed the park.

The silence was heavy and tense, but neither of them knew what to say to cheer up the other.

Suddenly appeared a guy with blond-tinted hairs and a long leather jacket, a guy Julien knew.. "_Spike!"_ she thought while Buffy went off him, ready to attack him, but he went back and rose his hands, surrender.

"Wait, stops!" when they both seemed to listen he talked to the blondie "I wanna help you."

"Sure Spike.. this is the worst trick you could ever use."

"Your ex has got your watcher, just now he's torturing him."

"What do you want?"

"I told you. I wanna stop Angel. I wanna save the world."

Julien laughed.. she couldn't held back, that guy was crazy, save the world? A vampire? He was mad.

"Don't you remember you're a vampire, do you?" Buffy seemed to think too like her.

At that time Spike started to list the reasons why he liked the world striking a cigarette.

Julien played on it to study him, she had to admit that she liked what she was seeing.

Blue eyes, good features, muscular body, but not too much, and what about the clothes? That was kind of class. What a pity that he was dead, it was really a waste.

Her thoughts, not the ones of an heroin at all, were suddenly interrupted when Spike and Buffy gave each other a series of punches.

"Earth could be suck into the hell and you want my help because your girl is a whore?"

She clearly lost something, but she didn't think it was the right time to ask.

"I can't fight them alone, neither can you."

"_What?"_

"She's not alone" said Julien with her most threatening expression, but the reaction was a lot different of what she expected.

The blond looked at her like a pelting insect.

"I'm a slayer too, do you know?" she marked up thinking that he would forget it, but Spike laughed on her face.

"Hey, what are you laughing about?"

"Oh come on, is this your army slayer? A snot who's not supposed to defeat a fourth class vampire? Face the truth... I'm the only thing you've got."

"Listen, if you don't stop..." started the brunette, but Buffy put an arm between them to make them quiet "Well, let's go inside" she ordered and a few moments later they walked toward Summers home.

Arrived there, they were been intercepted by Buffy's mom, who seemed astonished, the blondie told them to wait outside and came into the house with her mother.

Julien nodded and Spike stroke another cigarette leaning against the doorstep.

The brunette was angry... very angry.

"I'm not a snot.. I'm a slayer, the chosen one... stupid idiot, who does he dare?? He would quiver for the fear instead of staying there smoking..." she kept on grumbling

"Sure, this is technically true, but at the same time it's not like that" the vampire answered her unexpectedly.

Julien was startled and when she noticed to have him two steps near, jumped back such a spring "What the hell are you doing? Stay far from me."

"Otherwise? Go on. Why don't you make me quivering for the fear with your frightening threatening?"

"...I'll kick you..."

"If I remember, you're the one who's been kicked the last time."

"It was different, it was..."

"Listen sweetie, this is not your job, don't you understand? You're not enough strong, fast or bad to do it. At the most you could be an assistant, but surely not the official slayer. You'll never be. Not even in a billion years."

He threw away the stub "But I'll admit one thing... with no doubts growing up you could become the nicest among the slayers, so let's do like that... in a pair of years... come and look for me so we could try to have some fun in another way, mmmh?"

"Come in... what's happening?" Buffy was appeared again on the door, and she looked suspicious.

"Nothing darling. Really nothing." Spike answered passing her over the door and Julien followed him with inflamed face and the heart which was beating at breakneck speed.

"Willow woke, I just talk to her at phone" she told her while they were going inside.

"Good."

They stopped into the salon where Buffy placed with one's arm folded in front of the vampire.

"So? What's the deal?"

"Really simple, Dru and I will leave the city. I help you killing Angel and for exchange you'll let us go out of the country and you'll never heard anymore about us."

"Ok" Buffy answered after a moment of reflection "Go back to the mansion, make sure that Giles is okay" Spike nodded and he moved away.

"Hey" Julien shouted at him "If you betray us, your girlfriend is dead" Spike didn't answer and the brunette didn't know if he took her threaten seriously... neither she knew really... after her meeting with Drusilla she wasn't exactly sure she could kill her.

From the up floor came the Joyce's voice, and the blondie stopped frowning lost in thought "Julien, wait for me in the outside, I'll be with you in a moment"

Even if she doesn't understand the reason, the brunette follow the order and she waited sitting on the porch's stairs, a few later she heard the voices of Buffy and her mother which was fighting.

It gave her a weird sensation of memory, but Julien tried not to think her mother and her last words...

"Time to go" told her Buffy just come out.

She gave her a charged crossbow, while she grasped the blessed sword.

"Listen" she told her along the road "I want you to make Giles save, I'll take care of the rest."

"What? But I can't leave you there."

"Listen Julien, only you can do this, I can't risk one of the other... not again. I'll have to look after Angel, you're the only one who can do this."

Julien nodded reluctantly.

"Buffy there's another thing you must know about the rite."

Buffy stared at her "Giles discovered the key, is Angel's blood... if he opens the portal the only one way to close it will be killing him.. so you must stop him before it happens... do you understand?"

The blondie nodded biting her lip, Julien knew she gave her a bad new... the umpteenth it seemed...

A few after they arrived to the mansion. There were only two guardian, it was easy to get free of both, but the noise attracted the attention of the three vampires who stayed in front of the Acathla's statue.

"Hi my love..." murmured Buffy and Angel looked at her annoyed "I've got no time for you now."

"We have got not much time left."

"Do you think you can face us all?"

"No, I don't think so."

It was the signal of the beginning.

Spike stood up from the wheelchair and hit Angel on his shoulder with a metal bow "It hurts, doesn't it?" he shouted him following on hitting him.

Buffy took care of the last vampire on guard shouting her to find Giles and Julien started her duty, she didn't employ a lot of time to find the man.

He was kept tied in a room not far, it seemed they tortured him and he went on murmuring about dreams and hallucinations.

The girl untied him calling his name and trying to urge him, but he seemed shocked or something like that. At the end she just took him away by force.

Buffy was fighting with Angel while Spike seemed busy in controlling Drusilla, Julien was fast in coming out and carried Giles till the hospital.

After she was sure he was okay she ran back to help the other slayer, but when she arrived everything seemed to have come to an end...

Acathla was still a stone statue and everybody else was disappeared, even Buffy.

Confused she came back to the hospital to the others and told them she didn't find her.

"The spell worked, I felt it, maybe Angel and her wanted to be a bit alone" Willow reassured them

"Or maybe she already killed him" Xander answered weirdly hopeful.

"Well, sooner or later she will come and tell us everything" ended Cordelia.

"Yes" murmured Julien, but there was something wrong, she felt those things...

…a week later Buffy hadn't still showed herself, her things had disappeared from home, so they decided that until she came back Julien would stay in Sunnydale…

**Tbc...**

_Review?_


	4. 4:Amarra's gem

**4:Amarra's gem.**

Over a year went by since Julien was in Sunnydale the last time, a few months after her disappearing Buffy went back and told all the reasons for her escape. Angel died, sucked in who knows which infernal dimension and the slayer couldn't face the loss's pain.

The brunette felt really sad for her, the loss of loved people was always painful, she knew it well.

A few after the blondie's returning, Julien decided to come back in Los Angeles to her watcher, she missed Sam and overall at hell's mouth a slayer was enough. Her watcher decided to move her trainings in a more comfortable place and he bought a kind of a library, on the backroom a stair led to an underground room well organized, weapons, gym carpets, weights, there was everything.

It seemed a bit the Mr. Giles's library, maybe the watchers were cloned or something.. the girl thought often about that, they were too much similar.

Her hairs now were shorter, they were over her shoulder, but she already regretted of cutting them, but she kept her blue locks, but now they were lighter now, Sam hated it.

"Are you listening to me?"

"What? Yes, Amarra's gem... understood."

It seemed the council heard that someone found somewhere a legendary ring which made immortal the vampires.. well, more immortal, no crosses, no stakes.. nothing.. impossible to be smashed and it seemed this mythical Amarra's ring arrived there in Los Angeles, so obviously it was her duty to found and get free of it.

"You must pay attention, this is a situation extremely dangerous. If the ring would fall into the wrong hands, we're going to be in serious damages."

"I understood, but how could I find it? I don't even know how it's made! It is a ring, and this is Los Angeles, it's impossible!"

"You're the slayer, go out and found it, is your duty."

"And you're the watcher, at least you can find a picture on a book."

Sam sighed "There's nothing into the books.. listen meanwhile you go having your rounds, ask some information, sound out some demon, let's see what you can discover, instead I'll look again into my texts... okay?"

"Ok, I'll go."

So, a few later Julien roamed through the roads of the city, looking for some demon to kick off or kill, the problem was that nobody seemed to be there that night.

'Well, once I need vampires, they go on holiday, awesome' her attention was caught by something yellow which passed fast on the walkway on the opposite, Julien went closer to understand what was it and she saw a shadow moving fast on a fire stair, it was rising on the palace's roof, and by its fastness, it wasn't a human.

"You're here, a bit of exercise at the end."

She followed him, being careful in order not to be notices and come on the top of the stairs she found a vampire waiting for her, but not any one.

"Looks who's there" the one who turned back to her stretching out the terrace was just Spike, the vampire who helped Buffy and her saving the world a year ago, but her brunette consort wasn't oddly there.

The vampire seemed too thoughtful to notice her and Julien couldn't go near to understand what he was looking to, without being seen.

But from there, she heard the blond talking, he used an odd falsetto.

The brunette concentrated to distinguish the words, but it was a mistake coz when she understood them she couldn't help but laughing.. not a big thing for a surprise effect.…

"No, my duty is to help who needs, and don't mind about the reaching such a kind of a sexual tension and my strut such an unreachable faggot gives me a total and absolute satisfaction! I understand I have a gay nephew so... don't say a thing, the evil is still in me and I just ended that woman hair gel that I like a lot.. soon, to the angel mobile!"

_'Angel? Did he say Angel? No, she would have made a mistake...'_

"I'm happy I amused you snotty."

Spike obviously heard her and he turned toward her, but he didn't seem worried at all by her presence, he just analyzed her turning on a cigarette.

"Hi Spike, do you remember me?" asked the brunette, taking out a stake.

"Yep, the false slayer, doesn't it? Take off the stake honey, you're not supposed to succeed, I told you."

"I don't know, it's a lot we don't meet, maybe I should show you my improvements."

"Listen I've got other things to do than playing with you, I have to solve very important duties."

"Let me guess, Amarra's gem?"

She knew it was perilous, because if Spike didn't know about the ring, now he would look for it, but something told her that if someone had found a legendary ring, could just be him and she didn't fail.

"Oh no, the terrible slayer found out my devilish plan, I must kneel and beg her forgiveness now... go away or I'll kill you, my patience has a limit."

His face turned into the demon's one and Julien hit him with a kick on his face which unbalanced him for a moment, the girl used the advantage and hit him again breaking his lip, it gushed a river of blood "Oh, so you wasn't joking, you became really better."

"See?"

"Yes, but you're still a snotty" the hit came to her unexpected and sent her against the wall, Spike took her from her neck and kept her there, between the ground and the emptiness "I told you to go" said to her.

Julien took out a taser (that kind of gun which gives electrical quakes :P) and put it on his side, the quake made him loose the grip on the neck, the brunette stood up and hit him with a new quake until the vampire fell on the ground, shaken by trembling and then she knocked him definitively out with a beat over the neck.

"I told you I became better..."

"Repeat again... why did you take it there?"

After she caught the vampire, Julien took him to her watcher and chained him and closed into a metal cage in her training room, she thought the reason was obvious: Spike knew about the gem and they needed what Spike knew, but Sam seemed not to wanna share her logic.. .as usual.

"How many times I have to tell you? I'm sure he knows where's the ring, if he doesn't have it, but he don't want to tell it to me, so I took him to you."

" To me?"

"Yes so you can find the way to make him tell us what we need."

"Me."

Sam seemed unable to say something that night, who knows what was worrying him? He went sitting at the table, he rubbed his temples and looked to the vampire, still senseless, then he stood up back and started walking across the room, he seemed to be nervous.

"You..you..." he kept on saying, at the end he stopped and looked at Julien "You're really..." he opened his arms and looked up with exasperate air, Julien started being worried about his mental status.

"Did you have kind of idea about who you took here? Do you know who's that? Bloody William? He already killed two slayers, it's one of the worst demon on the earth and when he's near you, instead of burning him you catch him? And you bring him here?!"

"Just until he'll tell us what we want, then we'll kill him."

"It's too dangerous, if he escapes he would know where to find us."

"Oh, don't worry, I should do it even before."

Spike woke up and he was proving the chains which imprisoned him.

"Listen blond, why don't you talk and we end up here?" Julien asked him using her most threatening voice.

"And what are you going to give me if I talk?"

"What do you think about 'I won't kill you'?"

The blond pretended to think about it "I don't know... I'd like to be paid in kind... maybe in a pair of years."

"I could always end up here and find the ring in another way" the brunette threatened, heading a stake for him

"Ok, ok.. what do you like to know?"

"Let's start from the beginning, why are you here in Los Angeles and what do you wanna do with the ring?"

Spike's look clearly said 'you're really stupid' but he oddly avoided to comment on.

"Let's see, I'm here to find the ring, to kill, slaughter, kill the slayer and her friends, kill a little bit more and then, let's see... get tanned maybe and go to visit some church with big crucifixes."

"And where's the ring?"

"If I knew I would not look for it."

"Yes? And you were on that roof spying people coz you're a voyeur."

"I'm a vampire, I was spying my next victim."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"But you don't know a thing!"

The look was now saying something like 'Duh!'

"Well, kill him then" intervened Sam who listened all.

"What? What about the good's honor? You always keep your promises, don't you? I told everything I knew."

"But you didn't know anything, so the deal is broken."

Julien charged a crossbow, she didn't want to risk by opening the cage.

"Wait a second... wait."

She took aim...

"Angel, Angel got the damned ring, ok?"

Julien put the weapon down "Angel's dead, you must know it."

"He's not anymore."

The brunette turned to her watcher who shook his head.

"I'm telling the truth! Listen, I don't know what happened and I don't care about it, but Angel's alive he got his foolish soul and after all the hard work I made to find the ring, that damned slayer stole it to me, in order to give it to him, ok? And it's unfair because that ring is up to me."

"It was him you was spying from the roof."

"_Really_? You're stupid to be a slayer, it was obviously him, the idiot is trying to be a detective or something such nauseating."

"I guess he's telling the truth" intervened Sam "Now you can really kill him."

"What?" Spike shouted.

"But he said something useful this time" the brunette answered.

"And do you want to free him?"

"No, but..."

"Julien!"

"Ok, ok... let's do this, I go looking for Angel and I find out if the blond told the truth and then we think about what we have to do, ok?"

"Ok, but be careful July."

"Ok, see you later... bye Willy."

"Bye July, don't die or I could not kill you then."

The brunette in answer rose her middle finger.

At the end, finding Angel was easier by talking than doing, the morning after she was still around without anything new.

More, she had the Spike problem still unsolved, she couldn't free him coz he was a vampire... he killed people and he would kill Sam and her, but she couldn't even kill him after she promised not to do it, could she? It wasn't fair, she knew Sam didn't agree and probably no one in the world would agree, but it wasn't fair.

Her thoughts was been interrupted by a guy with an oddly familiar look who cheered her. He wasn't tall a lot, red hairs, light eyes, where did she meet him?

"I'm Oz, remember? Sunnydale..."

"Ah Willow's boyfriend."

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"I had to give something to Angel from Buffy."

"Maybe Amarra's ring?"

"Yes... how do you know?"

"Oh it's a long story... but I have to talk to Angel, can you give me his address?"

"Sure" he wrote the directions on a piece of paper.

"And how did he come back from..you know from..." she pointed the ground.

"Long story, I guess he fall by the sky or something."

"Weirdo."

"Yeah, that's it" he gave her a piece of paper.

"Thank you so much Oz, are the others okay?"

"Yes, everything fine... I'll greet them."

"Ok thanks... now I gotta go."

Julien moved away running, with the address on her hand, she went back to her watcher.

The scene she saw was such different from she was expecting, the cage was destroyed, as the chains which was supposed to tighten the vampire, but now they laid down on the ground, Spike was disappeared.

"Sam?" the girl called loud, but she didn't get any answer "Sam? Where are you?"

A groan came behind one of the fallen tables, her watcher was buried there, he whispered taken by panic, Sam was senseless and he didn't feel better not even when the girl called him again.

Julien looked for the phone to call an ambulance, her heart was beating quickly and her hands was quivering for the fear, she stayed by his side all the time long, she followed him in ambulance and waited for hours into the waiting room.

Luckily the man just had a little concussion, nothing serious the doctor reassured her, he just needed a bit of rest.

She was leaded into his room and she patiently waited her watcher to wake up.

When he finally regained, Julien hugged him "Oh Sam I'm so sorry! I would kill him immediately, like you wanted to, I..."

"Don't worry, it's okay.. .I'm good."

"What's happened?"

"It's been also my fault, I was on low alert and he was expecting for this, who knows since how much he freed himself from that chains, it's been a second, he destroyed the cage and he hit me, he also destroyed my desk, my precious baroque desk."

"I'm sure you'll replace it" the brunette laughed.

Sam became serious again "Listen July, now it's of vital importance to find that ring before Spike."

"Don't worry about it, I already have Angel's address, now I go to him and I warn him."

Sam shook his head "It's not enough, you must destroy the ring July. It would be too dangerous leaving it to him, the rumor would spread and they would come and look for it... sooner or later someone would stole it."

Julien nodded, she would destroy the ring, not for consequences or the concern, but just not to disappoint again the only one person in the world who cared about her, the only one person in the world who loved her.

"Then I'll go, will you be okay alone?"

"Well I guess I can survive a pair of hours without you."

It wasn't hard to find Angel's office, but it didn't seem to be someone in there. Julien looked around a bit and she tried to call, but no one answered.

"Who the Hell are you?" screamed a boy she never saw before, at the same time she felt someone coming near behind her, she turned back and she saw a girl who pointed a charged crossbow to her, the brunette rose her arms surrendered. "I was looking for Angel but maybe it's the wrong address"

"Why are you looking for him?" the girl asked, aiming her.

"Coz I have something to ask him, but if it's not a good moment..."

"Wait a second" exclaimed the girl behind her "I know that terrible hairs! Aren't you that guy with superpowers? The second wonder woman?"

"Do you mean slayer? Yes, my name it's Julien, and you are?"

"Sure, now I remember, I'm Cordelia, you don't remember me coz I didn't use to spend a lot of time with Buffy and her ridiculous friends, I had a reputation to keep overall... this is Doyle."

Cordelia put the crossbow down, but the boy kept on looking her mistrustful "Why are you looking for Angel?"

"Oh I have to warn him to be careful, coz Spike is in town and he wants something that Angel have, nut he wants it."

"We already know, the something ring, right? Spike visited us last night, he attacked Angel and now he disappeared"

"Spike?"

"No, Angel."

"Angel's disappeared?"

"Yes, and we don't know where to look for him."

"So I came too late..."

_'And I could I find him now? Damn it!'_ Julien felt stupid because she didn't kill Spike when she could.

"Do you know where Angel kept the ring?" asked them, hoping he didn't wear it, or it was the end.

Cordelia was about to answer, but they were distracted by hard noises from the ground floor, it seemed someone was turning upside down the room.

"Do you think it's Angel?"

Cordelia shook her head grasping back her crossbow, while Doyle took a stake "I guess he would destroy his flat."

"I suspected it, ok... be ready" she told both.

Doyle and Cordelia waited in front of the door that lead down, while Julien hid on the side.

Spike appeared on the door a bit after "Cordelia, I love your hairs."

"I'd like to say the same."

Julien hit him on his back making him fall, but the vampire replied taking her legs and making her lose he balance "Sweetie, it seems you can't help but putting your hands on me!"

The brunette gave him a head butt "You had to stay into the cage, idiot! You singed your sentence."

She tipped over the positions and went over him "Are you angry about the watcher? I didn't even kill him."

He took her arms, ting her up "Let's do this, if you give me the ring, I won't kill you..." he went on after Julien's unconvinced look "and if you're really good, maybe I'll give up on Angel."

"What did you do to him?" Cordelia shouted.

"If you say to your friend here to let me go, we can argue about it."

The brunette left him reluctantly and the vampire made a big show standing up and dusting his clothes

"Where's Angel?" Doyle repeated

"I guess they're torturing him at the moment, but you know how much he's stubborn... he'll die before he gives the ring to me, so we make a deal. You give me the ring, I let him go."

"Why do we have to trust you?"

"Because you got no choices. You must save him until the sun fall, you'll find me behind the fishmonger Peterson, between Sewer and Westminster, don't be late."

The three met Oz asking him for help, they needed a plan to save Angel.

No one of them was so fool to believe that Spike was going to honour the deal .

So Cordelia and Doylw went down from a pick up near the meeting place and they met with Spike, while Oz and Julien followed them far.

The vampire led them into an old forsaken factory and they stayed out waiting.

"Here we are" Julien whispered charging two crossbows.

"How can we understand when we have to go in?" Oz asked.

"I don't know... I guess five minutes would be enough".

"Sure? If we make a mistake it would be a problem."

"Trust me... is my slayer's instinct."

"Oh, nice."

'_Hope for the best' _prayed the brunette between her "Ok, go" exclaimed and Oz pushed the throttle.

The pick up started making the tires screech and it broke the factory's wall, Spike rolled away after he had been almost ran over, Julien jumped out and pointed the crossbows to him "Look here sweetie."

The blond snarled, while Doyle and Cordelia freed Angel and helped him rising on the pick up "Don't be rancorous, it's nothing personal!" Julien shouted going back to her place.

Oz went in reverse and he escaped.

Angel was huddled up on the pick up's retro, he hadn't a good look with an iron rising from his stomach and the pale and sweated face.

"How's him?" Oz asked driving.

"He'll survive" Doyle answered.

"Not helpless, we must bring him to a hospital" Cordelia said

"In a hospital? But they're learned in humans..."

"I know you" whispered Angel to Julien "you're the girl who tried to kill me."

The others turned and look to her "Hey, I didn't know about the soul... everybody could make a mistake."

"Go back."

"What?" they exclaimed in chorus.

"He has a passion for children, Oz go back he couldn't get far."

Oz looked Angel and then the others "Do what he says." decided Julien at the end and the guy reversed the pick up's direction.

Marcus was on the bridge, he seemed to have it in for a group of boy scout, Oz run over him with the pick up before brake.

Doyle and Cordelia went to order the children to escape, while Julien prepared to face the vampire, she shot him and the stake went right on his heart, but he took it out laughing and threw it away.

_'Damn it'_ the brunette thought trying to shield the vampire's blows, the second one hit her throwing her against the pick up's bonnet, Marcus prepared himself for hitting her again, but Angel went down from the pick up running and ran over him, the vampire's back flamed under the sun's rays, but he didn't stop and carried Marcus over the bridge, falling into the water.

The others appeared at the parapet trying to understand where they were and Julien jumped into the water after them.

The water was cold and she couldn't see the vampires. Julien swam to the beach and she saw them. They were fighting under the bridge's shadow, when he saw her, Angel nodded to her, but he kept on distracting Marcus "You didn't destroy me, you tried and failed" he hit him making him go back to Julien which hit him with a stake when he was close enough, Marcus turned to her, but before he could react the brunette took the ring off of him, Marcus became ash.

"They ordered me to destroy it." she told, looking the ring she kept into her hand's palm, Angel nodded like he already knew it was inevitable and Julien felt really sad for him. After all he made a hard work to defend it...

At the end, she lent him the hand she was keeping the ring in.

"What?"

"Wear it. You deserve it."

Angel wore the ring and finally, after two hundred years, he saw again the sunlight. Seeing his delightful expression, Julien convinced herself she made the right decision.

She spent the rest of the day with them, Cordelia told all her anecdote on Sunnydale and she praised about her actress career.

Julien felt oddly good, it was the first time she spent the day with someone who didn't care about her psyche or her training, it made her feel oddly hot.. inside. It was a sensation hard to describe.

At sun fall she went looking for Angel and she found him on the top of the palace, on the terrace, he was staring the twilight.

"I'd like to leave it to you..." she told him pointing at the ring "but my watcher would kill me."

The vampire shook his head "You already made a lot, you could destroy it immediately, but you left it to me all day long. I'll never forget and however I don't think I would wear it."

"Why?"

"I don't know how much they told you about my return from Acathla... the point is that I came back from the Hell and I believe there's a reason if it happened, if I would keep the ring, I'll forget it" he put off the ring and put it on the stonewall destroying it with a stone, the gem gave out a green light before it destroyed forever.

Julien picked all the pieces in a napkin and put it into her pocket "Well, I guess is time to relate to my watcher."

Angel nodded.

"So.. .see you." the girl told him.

"Yes... if you would need me, don't hesitate asking."

That hot sensation which wrapped her up that afternoon became even more overbearing.

**Tbc...**


	5. 5:Goodbye

**5: Goodbye.**

"I'm really sorry about what happened I... I'm not good at all soothing people."

"Don't worry it's the same."

"Julien if I could do something, everything, don't hesitate asking."

"Could you kill them for me?"

"Julien.. I..."

"Sorry, it's just that... I can't believe it, I would risk my life to save their? The life of who took everything away to me?"

"Don't do it, it's the bitterness who's talking, I can understand it. I went through this, believe me. It's awful, it's painful, complicated, but it's the truth, sooner or later you're going to accept it."

"Are you sure? Because now I just want to vanish into thin air."

It was since that morning she was standing up there, maybe she must be tired but she could feel anything.

She didn't feel a thing really since more than two days, since that stupid policeman rang her home's doorbell... or better, Sam's home.

It was terrible, sudden, unexpected... it was everything she was always been afraid of.

The day when the person you love the most in the world is torn out from you without a reason.

It wasn't the first time at all for her, but at the end when someone born damned what could she expect? Her mother was right.

"Don't do it."

Angel arrived right after the sun fall, Cordelia informed him about what happened.

She didn't remember about talking to her, but it would be like that. Did she call her? Maybe, she didn't remember exactly what happened after the policeman.

'_Do you know mr. Sam Zabuto?'_

'_Yes, he lives here, why?'_

'_We must inform you there's been an accident.'_

An accident? It wasn't an accident, liar. The accidents are other. Stumble is an accident, not being killed…

"Don't do it." repeated the vampire by her side and he nestle her, tighten over his chest.

The missing of a heart beating was soothing, at least Angel was already dead, no policeman could ring the doorbell to tell her that some accident had occurred to Angel.

After the gem's episode, the friendship with the vampire had become oddly deep, Cordelia always call her asking her to help him, she told that if Angel persisted to go alone fighting, sooner or later they took him back into an ashtray and Julien wasn't sorry about helping them.

"I'm doing anything."

"Yes instead. You're trying a way to be guilty of his death, you're telling yourself that if you had been something in a different way, he would still be here. It's not like that."

"It's not?"

"No, it's not. Listen to me, if you start feeling guilty, you'll never go out, you'll never forgive yourself, it will be always worse. Believe me... I know."

Julien nodded, but she wasn't so sure, who could say it? If she would go out to buy a stupid milk box, maybe nothing would happen, she was a slayer, wasn't she? While Sam was... only Sam.

No superpower, no superstrenght, just... an English man who loved to read, who loved her and now... he was anything anymore... there wasn't a thing, nobody who loved her.

'…_he interfered to help the owner and a scuffle started. One of the burglar took out a weapon, two shots point-blank…'_

"You can cry, you know? Crying is good."

"I don't want to. I can't. I…"

"Sssh, it's okay, when you'll be ready... it'll be good, you'll see."

But it wasn't supposed to be good, how could it when everything she touched got broken?

"Do you already know what you're going to do after? Are you going to stay here? They'll give you a new watcher?"

"No, they'll send me to Sunnydale. Demons act oddly, I didn't understand so good, I didn't want to hear at all."

"I understand, so... is this a farewell?"

"No, it's just a goodbye... I don't really like farewells... I guess I told too many in fifteen years."

"You're right, so goodbye?"

"Goodbye."

'_Do you know Mr. Sam Zabuto?'_

'_Yes, he lives here, why?'_

'_We must inform you that there's been an accident.'_

'_What?'_

'_It seems some burglars went into a minimarket two blocks far, they were stealing the cash, when Mr. Zabuto went in, he interfered to help the owner and a scuffle started. One of the burglar took out a weapon, two shots point-blank…'_

'_No, it is impossible.'_

'_He died immediately, I'm sorry.'_

'_Sam was...no...'_

'_I know it's not the right moment, but you have to come to the main office for the identification.'_

"_Dead? No.. there was a mistake, it would be a mistake, it wasn't surely Sam…"_

No, she would cry…she would never cry, never more, she promise do many years before…

"Julien, are you sure you feel good?"

Who would ever said that a looker could die in such a human way, so common…

"Yes, yes.. I'll be okay, you'll see. I'm strong."

"_It isn't true, I'm not…"_

"I know."

"_No, you don't know, but it's okay. I don't wanna make you worry in vain."_

She held Angel tight one last time, and she lowered kissing the grave, the last relic of a man's existence…

"_Goodbye Sam, one day somewhere we will meet again…"_

**tbc...**_  
_


	6. 6:Who have I got to host!

**6: Who have I got to host?!**

It hasn't been a long trip, but Julien felt exhausted.

It was like she went back in time, two years before, when she walked alone through the roads without a place to go or someone who loved her.

Sam's loss hurt still so much that she couldn't even think about it.

The council seemed not to be so happy about her, even if nobody told her the reason.

Sending her to Sunnydale was just like get rid of the problem. There was already Buffy who took care of demons and vampires, what's the meaning of sending another? They didn't explain a thing to her, they gave her a packet of papers with indications to follow and a ticket to leave. That's all.

When she asked where she was supposed to live or how she could get the dasila, they told her not to worry.

'_We'll think about everything' _they told, and ordered again to leave.

The coach stopped, the girl picked up her carryall and went down the stairs, going out into the brilliant Sunnydale sun.

It seemed her life was about to begin… again.

After she bought a coke and ate an hamburger, she decided to go to Giles, she got his address on one of the papers they gave her, it seemed they thought about everything.

She really hope to get into the group, she missed the guys from Los Angeles.

Cordella and the others were just like her: the world's excluded, they could understand each other some way, instead the Buffy's group was different, more mistrustful…

"_Let's hope for the best"_ the girl prayed , knocking on Rupert Giles flat's door.

After a few moments the watcher personally came and open "May I help you?" asked her, cleaning his glasses lens.

"Yes.. I'm Julien, do you remember? The other.. well… the other slayer."

"Oh yes, I remember. Actually a lot of years went by" Giles analyzed her for a bit and the lass stayed on the door a little embarrassed "May I..." she gestured to say she wanted to go inside the home, and the man seemed to rouse himself "Of course, of course… come in" he stood aside and Julien skipped into the flat.

"I don't wanna be rude at all, but... what are you doing here?"

Julien had a look around, it wasn't too big, but oddly comfortable, there were a lot of old books, just like… "_Don't think about it."_

"I'm here because…"

"Hey, who the Hell is at this time? If it's one of Buffy's crawler tell him to buy me more bloo-" from the aisle came a guy with an extremely familiar look, hair blond tinted, blue eyes, a scar on his left eyebrow… that was Spike!

Julien instinctively hit him, a punch on his face, the odd thing wasn't just that she hit him, but instead of react the blond rose his arms surrendered calling the watcher.

"Mr. Giles that is Spike."

"Yes, compliments for the observation." intervened the vampire, massaging his nose.

"Mr. Giles."

"Ouch. Do you know..." the vampire went on ignoring her "You have to go by on this bad habit of bothering me, I understand I'm irresistible, but you're really going through."

"Relax, you're not supposed to worry long, cause I'm going to put you into an ashtray."

Giles cleared his throat "Actually Spike is... how can I say… he had some problems lately, a militar's group caught him a little few ago and planted him a device which blocks him to hurt the others human beings."

"So they neutered him?"

"Hey! Take care about your talking!"

"And where did they put this device?" the brunette asked, like she was expecting to see it come out somewhere.

"Into my brain."

"And they found one in there? So, compliments."

Spike rose his middle finger as answer.

"You're really rude, you know? Especially because now _I _can do to you whatever I want and _you_ can just bear!" just to show the meaning, Julien hit him on his forehead with a finger.

"May I know who let you come in? Giles, let's send her away! It's the most unbearable snotty in the world! I would kill you when I got the chance!"

"Not bad, now you can't anymore."

"What, did Angel sent you away? The last time you seemed to be hand-in-glove!"

"Mind your own business."

Giles cleared his throat again "Even if your squabbles could be interesting to see, I wanna know too why you're here."

Spike gave her a victory look, because of the girl couldn't help but turn her eyes to sky.

"The council transferred me here for the moment, it seems on Sunnydale demons act oddly, like something big is about to happen, but I don't know something more precise."

Giles seemed thoughtful, he took off his glasses and starting again cleaning it "Weird, it could be tied someway to this command… I have to do some researches, well… I guess is right to welcome you."

"Thank you" Julien smiled.

The house the council prepared her was just two blocks far and it was really nice.

Julien stayed looking for it out, asking if it really was her and controlling at the address a lot of times.

On ground floor there were the living room with a white sofa, which looks really comfortable and the flat screen TV, the girl never had one before.

There was even a DVD player. On a wall, there was the library, they were really ancient texts, of magic and demons, other ones were classics, so there was written on the dust jacket, that she never heard about before.

The kitchen was a little small, but she just had to eat in.

She went on the first floor and there she found three bedroom, but she didn't know why there were so many.

The one in the middle was the biggest one, there was a king bed and a wooden armchair with two doors, on a wall there was a little desk with a turned off lamp on it.

The others were really smaller with a single bed and the one door armchair, but nobody was supposed to sleep in there.

At the end, on the opposite wall, there were two rooms, the first was the bathroom and the second turned out to be a kind of armory. On the wall, there were crossbows, swords, and stakes, there was also a stock of holy water, Julien decided to lock it, just to be sure.

When she ended her patrol she went back on ground floor, for sitting on the sofa.

She stayed looking to the empty screen, without finding the will to turn it on…

The silence had never been more oppressive.

On evening, she decided to go back at Giles, the apology to wanna see the group was really useful.

The truth was that she was tired of being home alone without something to do. After a lot of years, she seemed to have really touch the ground, before she had unless someone with her, her mother or Sam had always been there, maybe the first didn't talk to her a lot, but at least she was there. There instead, she was totally alone, she would become crazy like that.

This time, Buffy opened the door, the blonde seemed so much more adult than two years before "Julien, we hope for you to come!" she welcomed her smiling.

Inside, they were all gathered, Xander, Willow and a new girl she never saw before. The three of them were sat on the sofa, while Giles stood up by the kitchen and Spike aside, sat on the steps of the stair which led up floor.

"Hi" they greeted her in chorus "So you're going to stay here now.. yes, well, it'll be funny with two slayers. Demons won't be safe!" exclaimed the red hairs one.

"I thought she was older, taller... well why are the slayers all so young? She doesn't frighten a lot…"

"Ehm… I don't think we know each other… I'm Julien" the brunette gave her hand to the new girl, she seemed a bit weird, but she was really nice "I'm Anya… and Xander is mine"

"Anya!" exclaimed the guy by her side.

"It's better to warn from the beginning, I don't want her to have a crush on you, because you can't, do you understand? He's just mine."

Julien laughed "So I'll try to restrain."

"Did you need something Julien?" Giles asked, sipping a cup of tea.

"Oh, nothing special, I just wanted to greet the others, but we're here so.. how's the things here? Do I have to go on patrol?"

"Ah yes, I was just about to go. You can come with me, so I'll show you the wonderful Buffy's world."

"It seems to be a good idea, it would be a calm night, so you wouldn't have to have any problems."

"Okay" the brunette answered.

"Hey, we can come too! An old style patrol, what do you think about?" Willow suggested, eager.

"What? But we had some projects!" Anya moaned.

"By the way Xander..." Giles interrupted them "after the patrol you must come and take Spike, he'll have to stay to you for a bit."

"What?" the concerned shouted at the same time.

"I'm going to have some visits for a pair of days, so…"

"Again?" Anya interrupted him "Don't you think you do too much for your age? Xander and me have got right to our intimity too, before we become old and impotent!"

"I don't want to be tied to that sewer… again!"

"Like I want you there! I don't actually love your company."

"Listen, there are no other solutions. He can't stay here and Buffy and Willow can't bring him to the college."

"Well, can't she keep him?" Anya pointed to Julien who started to have a bad feeling "She's a slayer, wouldn't it be her work of vampsitter?"

Perfect, she was there since a few hours and they were already cornering her, with Spike, overall! He would suffocate her while she was sleeping!

"Yes, why can't I stay with the snotty?"

Julien looked at the vampire like he had another head, did he become crazy?? Why did he want to stay with her?

"I don't think it's a good idea." Giles murmured, but Buffy decided to intervene "They are effectively right, Julien is a slayer, and Spike is harmless at the moment, I can't see which is the problem. I'm sure she can afford it."

"I don't believe that…"

"What do you think about it Julien? Do you feel it?" Willow smiled to her, encouraging, and in a few seconds all the eyes were pointed on her.

Anya would probably killed her if she dared to refuse and Xander got a hopeful puppy's eyes, which made her cringe, how can she say no? But it was Spike… Spike!

She couldn't live with him.

"_Let's invent a convincing apology, Julien… go… think!"_

"Spike hate me, I don't think it would be a good cohabitation."

Could someone be more idiot than this?? What kind of apology was that?

"Don't worry sweetie, there's no one there I don't hate, it'll be enough for you to buy me a lot of blood to keep me satisfied and happy."

She didn't like at all the way he told it, he was machinating something to make her life a Hell, she felt it… that was a revenge for the ring's story.

Julien wasn't fool, Spike could even got a chip into the brain, but he was even more dangerous than before like that.

"Well, I hope you went over the bad habit of touching me, because if you try to take advantage on me…"

"Shut up Spike" Buffy ordered, hushing him up.

Julien felt to blush "Ok, I'll keep him at my home, but if I'll burn him for mistake it wouldn't be my fault."

"Relax, no one would have something on you" Xander answered.

So, after a brief patrol to the cemetery, and three vampires become ash, she greeted Buffy and she went another time to Giles.

The man insisted for them to exchange emergency numbers and gave her a case with _'Spike's stock'_ warning her for not to trust on the vampire.

"_Like he could do it"_ the brunette thought.

"Is it still far? I'm tired" the vampire moaned after a pair of minutes.

"No, we're just there."

"How much 'just'?"

"A pair of minutes."

They kept on walking for some meters, before Spike decided to annoy her again.

"It's passed."

"What?"

"The minutes... where's this home?"

"Do you want to shut up?"

"Or?"

"I'll kick you."

"I already heard that."

"Here we are, are you happy? You're really annoying."

Julien opened the door and went in, but Spike didn't follow her. He stayed on the doorstep, waiting.

"Well?" she said, annoyed.

"I need something more specific than 'Well?', even if I think is a comment worthy of your intelligence."

Julien looked bad at him and for a moment she imagined to slam the door on him, leaving him at the mercy of demons and human, maybe of the sun too, but maybe Giles wouldn't be so happy, but Xander surely would…

"Come in Spike."

She didn't even finished to say it that the vampire went over her, throwing her the jacket like she was a kind of a waitress and went on exploring every house's corner.

"Hey, looks at these rooms! I want this!"

"Looks this bathroom!"

"Hey looks, there's a giant TV here! Where's the remote? And looks what a stereo! You're not sorry if I listen to something, are you?"

He didn't even finished to ask, that the music stated and, hearing the deafening volume, the whole city was supposed to hear it.

Julien finished to put the blood in the fridge, they were home since less than a minute and she already had headache.

Sighing, she went to the living room where Spike was laid on the sofa, with the boots on, and she turned off the stereo "Your feet off of there!" ordered him, giving a slap on his leg.

"Spoilsport" the blond muttered sitting "Give me the remote, there's 'Passions' on TV."

Julien threw it "I'm going to have a shower, try not to destroy a thing meanwhile."

The vampire rose his middle finger to her, without even look.

Julien went on the up floor with the Spike's comments on background for the soap opera… for some absurd reasons, his presence didn't annoy her a lot… at least, the silence had disappeared.

**tbc...**


	7. 7:Cohabitation & Apocalypse

**7: Cohabitation & Apocalypse.**

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sleeping."

"Into my bed?"

"Who said is yours?"

Spike turned on a side and wringed the blanket from Julien, adjusting the pillow.

The brunette counted to ten... again.

He was slowly making her go crazy. They lived together just since two days and he was already risking to be turned into ash.

He did anything but annoy her. He broke the microwave, poured a blood's cup on the sofa and he moaned about everything, even the bedroom.

The night before, when Julien said she was going to bed, the vampire followed her, saying that the brunette's bedroom was his.

Obviously a fight had started, and the vampire gave a prove of his good education launching out a series of overtones about who had right to the biggest bed and why, Julien liked the most not to remember a word about his explanation.

At the end the brunette casted him out by strength and she locked up into the room.

In spite the blond flooded her bathroom, so she spent the morning putting right, while Spike stayed aside commenting her missing of female gifts… he was unbearable!

Besides, now he slipped into her bed, if he thought this would enough to make her gave up… he was making a big mistake!

"Spike, do you think I'll let you the bed just because you slipped in it?"

"But honey, I just fulfilled your desire, it's since you met me the first time that you're not thinking at something else."

As answer, Julien gave him a nudge on his back, which made him roll on the floor.

"Hey!" he shouted from the ground "You could make me serious damages!"

"Out of here, I wanna sleep."

"Oh let's go, the bed in there is too small and uncomfortable, I'm going to have backache."

"You're a vampire, you should sleep inside a sarcophagus or something."

"A sarcophagus?? What kind of things do they teach you? I never slept into a sarcophagus, is really uncomfortable."

"It is what it is, you won't sleep with me."

"Don't tell me you're afraid about your virtue? I ensure you, you can stay ease snotty."

"First, don't call me like that, second, you won't sleep with me."

"Let's go, it's a giant bed and you're a little snotty. Didn't they teach you the hospitality's values?"

"No."

"Did you know there's a demon who likes to hide inside little snotty's beds? I could defend you."

"If it there's a demon in this room it would be you and…"

Unfortunately for her, Julien made the mistake to look the vampire, that was her fall.

If there was something Spike knows good how to do, was using his angelic expression, a little smile, a sweet and attractive look, a little a wink gesture with the eyebrow… and that's it, the look he could have everything from everybody with and even if Julien tried, she couldn't defeat that expression "_Damn it"_.

"Ok, but don't move, don't talk and overall... don't touch me!"

Spike jumped on the bed "Like I would…"

"Spike..."

"And then, is you the one who touches, not me."

"shut up."

She woke up on three o'clock, otherwise living with a vampire and fight with him all day and a part of night long was an exhausting activity.

With regard to the vampire, he wasn't oddly there.

Julien worried immediately, Spike alone through home meant damages and destruction, he could do anything.

The girl took a quick shower and wore a pair of suit's trousers and a short-sleeved shirt.

She flipped her hairs and went down, hoping for the best.

Luckily, the blond seemed quiet, he sat oddly silent looking at the TV sipping his blood's cup and munching some chocolate cookies, one of his strange habits.

Julien prepared a cereals bowl and went sitting close to him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked after a few.

"Passions." he mumbled with full mouth.

"And what's that?"

Spike made a gesture which clearly said look-and-shut-up, but Julien pretended not to notice it.

For once she could annoy him, she wouldn't let it go.

"Who's that?"

"Do you really have to talk? You're annoying me."

"I know" she answered "...but it amuses me."

"Be careful, if you're so bad with me I guess I'll cry."

"Don't worry, I gotta have a box of Kleenex somewhere."

"Don't you have to go to school or save the world… or wherever far from here?"

"No, my watcher was my private teacher and today are not previewed apocalypse."

"Yeah, the old clumsy, I remember our short meeting. Did you forsake him coz he was too fool?"

"…he died."

Oddly Spike didn't answer a thing and Julien stayed quiet, pretending to look at the TV when actually she was dipped into her painful memories.

A few after the credits started to run on the screen and the vampire changed channel looking for something else, the brunette roused, all that laze was making her depressed.

"It's awful!" she burst put at the end "I'll need a bit of exercise."

"Don't say it to me sweetie, I would stroke you out with pleasure if I could… to make you feel better, obvious." the vampire answered smiling.

"Wait, maybe we can strake out each other without activate your chip."

Spike looked confused at her while she ransacked into the locker under the TV.

"That's it!" she exclaimed showing him a rectangular box with something printed on "Did you ever played Playstation, Mr. Vampire?"

When he understood the girl's idea Spike lit up "Get stuck in snotty, I'll kick your ass."

"Look, is already dinner time, do you wanna eat something?"

They spent the afternoon playing Street Fighter, trying different characters. Spike refused unconditionally to use female characters, saying that women wasn't able to fight against men, so Julien provided for whip him with the whole of them, but then the vampire got used to it and the struggle had became hard, but the girl could keep her adventage and now she led with twenty matches to eighteen.

"You wanna stop just because you know I'm going to win."

"Yes, keep on dreaming!"

"Ok, so just bring me a good neck to bite."

Julien hit him behind his nape, but without a lot of strength and she went into the kitchen preparing her dinner, Spike joined her a few after and he sat on the counter, looking for her.

"You know, this stuff is going to lead you to an early death..." he said pointing hamburger and fries she was heating "Well, I'm not sorry… thinking back…go on."

"Thanks, I guess I will."

"Heat a few blood."

"Heat on your own."

"You're really evil… and not hospitable." he went opening the fridge, analyzing the contents "Hey, the blood is ended."

"What a tragedy." the brunette snorted.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Buy me some more."

"How can I refuse if you ask so kindly?"

"And how am I supposed to ask it?"

"With the magic word."

"Maybe you're forgetting that I'm a vampire, we're wicked, we don't ask for things, we just take them."

"Yes, and you are forgetting that at the moment you depend on me, so if you want to eat, you're going to learn a bit of education" she answered, preparing to wash up.

A week later, things between them seemed to be definitively sorted out.

They slept all the morning long, they had breakfast looking at Passions and if Giles didn't call her to study or training with him, she stayed home playing at the Playstation.

They used to stroke out, but sometimes they also used quiz games, Spike seemed oddly to have a brain under all that dye and then, after dinner, they went out for the patrol.

Sometimes Buffy went with her and when she was taken up with her boyfriend, Xander, Willow and Anya accompanied her.

They were all nice, Buffy with her devices about vogue and hunt, Xander with his wisecracks, Anya which said the most absurd things in the least right moment and Willow that among the others was the sweetest and most friendly with her, she made all to make her more part of the group.

Sometimes after the patrol, she invited her with them in a city's club called Bronze.

She appreciated it, even if she doesn't like too much to stay there. There was always too much confusion, too many people, she wasn't used to that kind of place, she felt to choke, so sometimes she decides to go back home, using such an apology the fact that she didn't trust to leave Spike alone for a long time, who knows what the vampire could do?

Xander always agreed with her, asking her each day if she already gave up on the temptation to kill him and Julien laughed, but her laugh became slowly more pretended.

The truth was that she liked to stay with Spike, in his weird twist way, the vampire was nice… annoying, irritating, but nice.

That night she was cooking the pizza, or at least she was trying in vain, when the phone rang "Hello?"

"Julien?" she heard Giles voice "You have to meet Buffy and the others to Sunnydale old high school, you must know where it is. If you don't remember it, Spike will help you, it seems like demons you faces the other night are preparing for a sacrifice to open the Hell's Mouth. Buffy will explain you better."

"Oh. Okay... so, I'll go right now."

"Yes, good luck."

"Thanks" Julien answered looking at the receiver.

"What happens?"

Spike looked at her from the sofa.

"It seems we're going to face the apocalypse, again."

"Well, finally something that worth to be seen. Where are we going?"

"Sorry? You're not supposed to come."

"What? Why? You could die all. I don't wanna lose the show."

Julien felt the quarrel coming and she had to rush, the fight would go on long, so decided to give up "Well, but if you'll die it won't be my fault."

They walked in silence, side by side.

Spike, smoking cigarettes by cigarettes and Julien taken by a weird anxiety.

It was absurd, she already faced an apocalypse at Angelus times, but now it was different...

More… frightening? Maybe it was because there wasn't Sam, she hadn't got her guide, his books.

Well, Giles sent her in a struggle such a child is sent to buy the milk! She wasn't ready, she didn't know what to do, how to do it!

"Do you wanna stop it? You're going to nauseate me."

"Eh? I'm doing anything."

"Yes instead. You're frightening, stop it. You're a slayer or a gutless snotty? I'm feeling shy that I've been robbed of the Amarra's ring from a failed like that!"

"How dare you? I'm not afraid at all! Just because you know, I can kick whatever demon!"

The brunette went toward him to hit him, but Spike stopped her putting his palm on her face "Use your rage inside snotty, you'll need it" he stared her long and after nodding he went across her, going toward the high school where Buffy and the others were expecting for her.

Julien felt to blush… did Spike soothe her? Or just insulted? She couldn't say it for sure, but… she felt oddly strong now.

They were supposed to won, she knew.

"Why did you bring the blond cack-handed?" Buffy asked her.

"I couldn't avoid it."

"Well, but I don't want him in my way, I've no time for him."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" the brunette asked to the official slayer.

"Easy, they're three and they have to make a sacrifice, we stop them before they do it and we kill them."

"Well."

They went into the destroyed school, Julien remembered it was nicer "Sure, your school is changed. How did it become like that?"

"It's a long story with a big terrible snake" Xander explained.

"I don't know if I want to hear it..."

"Actually it's a bit disgusting."

"Guys, that's the demons" Buffy interrupted them.

A few far three demons were in circle telling magic spells in a language Julien didn't know "What are we going to do?"

"There are not people for the sacrifice, do you think it's too late?" the red haired whispered.

"No they must be here around. Keep your eyes open."

Buffy went forward attacking one of the demon on back, Julien followed her distracting the second one, while Xander and Willow tried to gather the objects necessary for the rite.

Suddenly Julien challenger stopped fighting and jumped into the pothole which was supposed to be the Hell's Mouth, a strong earthquake shook the school, Xander shouted something back, it seemed it was the demons the sacrifice.

Julien hit the third demon trying to keep him far from the Mouth and took the sack with the bones for the sacrifice, threw it to Willow which passed the sack to the nearest person, who was unfortunately Spike.

The demon changed immediately objective and hit the vampire which hit him back for instinct, as Spike as Julien were astonished when the chip didn't start.

Their looks crossed and Spike shouted for the joy to the thought that he could finally hit something.

Julien warned him not to make the demon fall into the pothole, but it was too late.

A second earthquake wrapped up the city. "I just wanted to help you" moaned the vampire.

The third demon was still fighting with Buffy, Julien went and help her and a few later ever Riley appeared on their side.

Buffy's boyfriend wore a weird camouflage and began to fight by their side without asking a thing. But, in spite of their trying, the third demon too could sacrifice himself, but the blonde didn't surrender and jumped into the Hell's Mouth to bring him back, Riley tied himself to a rope to take her out and Julien helped him to pull it.

Buffy went out a few after, carrying with her the lifeless body of the last demon… it seemed they won.

Julien went back home totally elation… she helped in saving the world! It wasn't something which happened everyday… and it had been funny!

Although, there was something she was thinking about, she looked Spike by the corner of her eye.

The vampire was oddly silent since he discovered he wasn't more that neutralized.

"I guess you want to leave now" Julien said without looking at him.

"Now you can defend yourself from demons, you don't need us anymore."

She didn't know why she was so surly, by the way, she didn't even want to start that discussion, she didn't want the vampire to go leaving her alone again, but Spike didn't evidently notice her thoughts.

"Don't worry snotty, I'll leave right when I'll find a place to stay in."

There was something weird into the vampire's pitch, such an accusation, but Julien didn't say a thing.

From that moment things between them became tense, or maybe they became exactly how they were supposed to be.

Spike stayed alone and didn't talk to her but when it was asked. He slept into the room Julien gave him at the beginning and he went out just to eat and look Passions, things that he made right in silence.

After she tried to talk to him sometimes, Julien understood she annoyed him, and she didn't go close to him anymore.

A few days later when she woke up, Julien discovered the vampire and his stuff had disappeared.

She tried to convince herself it was better, but look at the TV alone had never been more boring and eating was depressing.

The silence had came back, but this time was worse, because Julien finally understood the meaning of completing it…

**Tbc...**


	8. 8:The watcher's device

**8: The watcher's device.**

"So Spike left. It'll be a relief for you not to having him around, doing who knows what."

"You're really right" Julien answered, trying to smile.

It was passed a week since that vampire left her home and Julien didn't see him from that moment.

Further, she had no ways to find him, she didn't know where he was… well, she didn't want to.

After all what was the meaning of looking for him? To tell him what? Come back and live with me because I'm so pathetic that I miss you? Spike would at least laugh.

And then, it wasn't Spike she missed, she just wanted someone's company, she would feel the same for everyone, even for Xander, she thought looking the boy laughing for another gag on the vampire… "_maybe not"._

It was ridiculous! Spike and her weren't even friends, they spent the half time quarreling and the other one insulting… having fun, eating pizza, looking at the TV… _"stop thinking about it!"_

By now, complaining herself was useless and then it was her and her stupid mouth fault if now she was in this situation.

She couldn't shut up, could she? She must provoke him, cut his pride.

What kind of answer she was expecting for '_Oh no, I wanna stay with you Julien'._

Why was she so fool? Spike was a vampire, a demon, and she was a slayer, it seemed easy, doesn't it? She couldn't grow fond of _Spike_! It wasn't normal!

"I couldn't sleep under the same roof of Spike, well he got the chip and all, but he's always… you know… Spike."

"_Talkative Willow, really a lot talkative and the worst is that you're right, but who knows why my brain refuses to understand it"_

"When he slept to me I tied him really strong."

"_We know it Xander, you told it a thousand times."_

They were having patrol to the cemetery, things seemed to be oddly quiet in Sunnydale, probably because of the organization's work.

After the Apocalypse's story it was obvious to everybody that Riley was one of the super military who was a part of it and so Buffy took advantage of it to take a look at their headquarters, analyzing them by inside, searching information… unless, that was the official version.

The blonde seemed to Julien even too much happy to go around with the underground 007.

She did anything but talking about their equipments, their missions, she also proposed her to go with her and know the queen Walsh, but the brunette had kindly refused.

She took orders by too many people and then she didn't want to ally with a congregation of crazy scientist.

She didn't like at all this story, demons were killed by the slayers, that was the reason why they existed, right? They did it since the origins of time and now the government comes, with his supermen and his superweapons and demanded to nosey where he wasn't interested in.

And what did they do with caught demons? What do they need for chip and experiments?

Let's think about Spike for example… which was the meaning of putting him that chip and leaving him dying for the hunger? It was so much easier to kill him and end up with that, instead they spent who knows how many money for a useless install which was supposed to kill him the same, but slower… no, she didn't trust at all.

She didn't expose her theories to anyone, clearly.

Buffy was enthusiast and the others seemed to be too, so Julien pretended to be such the others… it was enough for her that nobody knew about the existence of a second slayer.

"It seems there's not too much more to do" the red haired interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, I guess is time to go back."

"Anya is waiting for me at the Bronze, if you want to join us."

"I can't I promised to a friend I would go to her tonight" Willow apologized, oddly embarrassed.

"I have to go to Giles, he seems a little depressed lately."

"You're right, I guess this thing about Buffy and the Enterprise made him feel a little aside, even yesterday at the birthday party he seemed so sad."

"Maybe he feels old."

"Xander, Mr. Giles is not old… he's just a bit… mature."

"However is better to be a good slayer, make him feel more involved."

"Right.. so we'll see tomorrow?"

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

Xander and Willow went away and Julien remained alone at the cemetery.

"_Who knows if Spike found a crypt here somewhere."_

Also if it was like that, it was impossible to find out, she couldn't just burst into the tombs to find him.

The brunette sighed looking at the sky, was it possible that she couldn't take him out of her head? What was happening to her?

"What a sad image"

Julien started… that voice…

She turned with her heart in her mouth and there, with his back on a grave and a turned off cigarette in his lips, stood Spike.

Was it wrong to be so happy of seeing him?

"Good evening Spike, what are you doing here?"

"I guess is none of your business."

Julien looked away, what did she expected for? Spike didn't miss her.

"If you really want to know, I'm looking for some demons to have fun with."

"Are you trying to steal my job? That's why lately I can't find something to kill."

"You have to thank me, a snotty like you alone could never do this… rather, I guess you have to pay me for my precious work."

"I didn't ask you."

"And what about the queen bee? Is she on holiday with her camouflage man?"

"If you're talking about Buffy, at the moment she's at the organization. Riley made her join the group."

"And you? Haven't you been even invited in their little club?"

"Yes, but I refused, I don't like them a lot."

Spike turned on the cigarette, analyzing her "You've got all my support, but the reason is obvious" he said pointing to his head "…yours is not. I thought you were all part of the same chivalry."

"Not me" the blond frowned.

"It's not that I don't like what they do. Killing demons and vampires is my job too, but what about the experiments? So, what are they working to? Which is the aim of all this work? I don't trust them at all, but I'm the only one who thinks that, so I shut up waiting for everything to go in ruin."

"A really negative reasoning."

"Believe me, I could feel those things and the organization is going to get us in trouble. I've got unerring instinct about those things, something terrible is about to happen."

More than an instinct it was a certainty… anxieties, continuous headaches, the way she kept on falling asleep on afternoon even if she wasn't drowsy.

Her visions hadn't got any way to show widely, but they kept on warning her that something was wrong, something was about to happen.

Spike stared at her thoughtful "It's incredible how much you look like her" he whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing" he shook his head "Now I gotta go, I've got more important things to do than stay with a snotty like you. See you the next time" he greeted her with a hand, before he went far and disappeared among the graves .

Julien remained looking the point where he had disappeared for a long time torn between the joy of talking to him and the sadness for the loss of that moment.

Mr. Giles was waiting for her at home, sipping tea and reading a big greek book, the brunette didn't understand the joy that watchers felt by reading in each languages but their, it was so hard.

"How's been the patrol? Something weird?"

"No, lately there are no so much demons around, with the Enterprise and Spike it seems that everybody's trying to take us away our job."

"Spike?"

"Can you believe it? It seems he goes around making the slayer now."

"I guess is natural… he couldn't kill the humans anymore, he would need someone to vent his innate aggressiveness with."

The girl accepted the cup of tea that was offered to her and she sat on the sofa.

"Mr. Giles?" she started hesitant "Do you know… a vampire and a human being, how much they could be similar?"

"What about this question?"

"Sometimes, don't think I'm crazy I know it's absurd, but sometimes… staying with Spike it's so..."

"I know, I felt the same."

"_I doubt it."_

"Living together has been a weird and enlighten experience for a watcher like me. Spike could reject every theory, description or knowing we have about vampires."

Giles stared in her eyes "But, we don't have to forget what he is. He kills for living and he has fun in doing it, he hasn't got any remorse or conscience, he hasn't got a soul and so he has no limits."

"But now he's got the chip."

"Exactly, but it's just that. A chip is not a soul, and it couldn't become it."

They kept silence, Giles cleaning his glasses like he always did when he was thoughtful and Julien playing with the empty cup's border.

"Isn't possible that the chip changes the things? I wanna say, stay with us, be unable to hurt us, couldn't all this make him more human some way?"

"Julien, Spike's a vampire. He'll always be. Don't deceive yourself, the chip couldn't present him feeling he's not supposed to have."

"But…"

"Listen, by now Spike is neutralized. The chip make him unarmed and because of that I won't interfere in this weird relationship you're having with him. I just want you to keep on your mind his nature and that you never fail alert. He's a vampire and he's one of the most dangerous, if you trust him too much you could pay it with life. Without minding that the chip couldn't not be permanent, and if he succeed to take it off he will be our foe again. Don't doubt about it."

Julien sighed, the man was totally right, but how she could convince herself?

Rationally she knew, but although she wanted to believe that Spike was… what? A friend?

"_Ah-ah.. amusing, Spike would have a crack if he heard something like that."_

"After that, let's come to your real problem."

The brunette looked at him confused… what he was talking about now?

"There where words are useless, there's something else that could be useful. For a vampire, who likes drinking blood and smoking, I'd say that money are the best trade possible."

"Do I have to pay him? For what?"

"For making him doing what he likes, I guess not even Spike could refuse a so advantageous deal for him."

"Oh..."

That man was really a genius! How was it possible that she didn't think it before? It was obvious, paying him to work with them, so to kill demons.

It was a genial idea, and she wasn't risking of pathetical and humiliating acts, with a bit of luck she could make it go such something by her soul's goodness.

"Really, someone like Spike would be useful to our cause, but keep on your mind what I told you. He's a vampire, never trust him."

"Thank you Mr. Giles."

"Nothing... nothing."

"Now, let's go back to our Latin lessons, we gave up on it too much lately."

"But it's one o'clock a.m.!"

"You seem to be full of energy… why don't you try translate this passage? It's really easy…"

**tbc**


	9. 9:Detectors and operations

**9: Detectors and operations**

They were to the Bronze again.

Julien liked that place even less.

On Friday night it was so full of people that she felt nauseated, but Willow had insisted so much that day that she couldn't refuse the invitation, so now she was sat near the red haired.

Xander was sunken in crowd, looking for some clients to saddle some disgusting black cherry bars.

A few before he sold one to her… Julien wasn't convinced she could recover from the happening. With any doubt it was the most disgusting thing she ever ate.

Anya was sat at the table, she was moaning about the long abstinence she was forced to by that group coming out and underlining that Buffy clearly chase Riley's company instead of their.

"It's not like that, you'll see she will come soon. She promised me. She said she miss us."

Willow seemed so hopeful that nobody had been so brave to go away, but it was obvious to everybody that the blonde was no supposed to show.

"You'll see she'll come" she repeated with her most steady expression and Anya sighed defeated.

Xander came back at that moment chewing the horrible bar that he obviously couldn't saddle to anybody, like he got such a stomach to eat it, Julien didn't know.

"Haven't Buffy shown yet?" he asked, unaware of the sore point he just touched.

"There she is!" the red haired shouted suddenly.

Buffy had just came into the club, but she wasn't clearly alone.

A few moments later the club had been overran by the Enterprise's guys.

Riley and Buffy came closer to the table to greet them and immediately the humor seemed to became worse.

Anya put on a disgusted look and brought Xander to the dancefloor, Riley instead got the duty to take the drinks, but Willow and her refused the offer, totally uncomfortable.

"You're not sorry, are you? The guys adlibbed a little party and I just couldn't go away."

Willow had an expression so deluded on her face that Julien felt sad for her.

"It's not that, I just thought it would be a coming out for few. You know, among us… if I knew that it was an open coming out I wouldn't bring a person."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess it's time to leave" the brunette said, if the party was ruined she wasn't more forced to stay there, was she?

"But we're just come, still don't go away" the red haired prayed her with her best puppy look and the truth was that Julien couldn't ignore that look at all.

Luckily Buffy's beeper chase right that moment to ring, creating an hellish din "I gotta go" the blonde said apologetically and Willow nodded sadly.

"What's the problem?" the brunette asked, maybe she could help, lately they put her aside for all.

"I'm not sure, professor Walsh is calling us… I guess she wanna send us killing some kind of demon"

Julien nodded restraining herself from saying that maybe Walsh should care of her business and let demons to who killed them for job… and was amused by doing it… and got bored when the others cleaned the city instead of her…

"Buffy we gotta go" Riley called her from the entrance.

"Julien, would you like to come? If I said to Walsh that you are…"

"No, don't worry, I prefer make the patrol on my own, don't tell her about me. Actually I don't want to work with the Enterprise."

"Oh.. .are you sure? Don't you wanna be a part of the team, share the weigh? I know they can't be like us, but they could help, couldn't they?"

The brunette sighed "Listen, it's okay to me if you want to slay with them, it's your choice, but I want to avoid them. They're not on my taste, that's all. And then, there are worse fates than be a slayer."

"For example?"

"_Being a tent phenomenon for example"_ she couldn't say it without opening a new worms can "Let it go, I'll leave. Hi Willow, see you tomorrow."

That night she went straight home, the patrol would be useless with Buffy and her terminator's team around.

She had a shower and took a new dasila phial "There are bigger weight than being a slayer" she whispered before taking it.

She woke up by the sound of someone who was screaming her name, hands that shook her strongly.

"Come on snotty, do you wanna wake or not?"

"S-Spike?"

Julien opened her eyes slowly, the vampire was bent on her and seeing him so near made her blush, she sat immediately, but she was hit by a strong headache and her stomach seemed to overturn.

"What are you doing here? It's morning, you must sleep now" she murmured painful.

"I have no time for this now, that damned soldiers are following me around, they even shot me, look."

The blond took off his jacket, pointing his shoulder where it seemed something shining was lodging, it didn't seem a bullet neither a downer, what if it was poisoned?

"It would be better to call the others, I don't like that thing at all."

"What are you waiting for? So, let's go."

The girl went calling for Giles, while she warned him about Spike's situation and asked him to reach her as soon as possible, her stomach seemed to become worse and her temperature fell down of many degrees was it normal to be so cold?

"Giles will come soon" she informed the vampire.

Just at that time a tough giddiness made her lose her balance, she fell down risking to throw up in a moment "What the Hell have you got now?" she heard Spike coming nearer, but his voice seemed far, she felt him taking her by an arm "You haven't got a good look snotty, these seems like an hangover… didn't they teach you not t drink at your age?"

"I didn't drink" she muttered, but she resulted less convinced when she had to run to the bathroom.

The blond stayed analyzing her from the doorstep "What's happening?" he asked, oddly serious.

Julien turned and looked at him asking how much he did understand, but it was impossible, was it?

Dasila was hidden under the floor's planks under her bed and even if he would find it he wouldn't understand what she needed it for. But it was also true that Spike saw her sleeping a lot of times and she didn't know the effects of the medicine on her body.

Sam said it caused a little coma, but which way?

What happened to her body while she was sleeping?

"Nothing" she whispered as answer.

The vampire seemed ready to deny, but he was interrupted by the doorbell ring… the others had arrived.

"Go down and open please. I'll come soon."

Spike looked at her for a few moments before he went down, without saying a thing.

Julien swallowed a pair of painkillers conscious they wasn't supposed to make any difference and she washed her face, she heard down Giles and Xander's voices, she went down the stairs and found them all into the living room.

Giles was at the phone, Xander was discussing with Anya and Spike leaning on the wall, with his arms folded and the eyes fixed on her like he was looking for the puzzle's missing tile.

"Willow will be here soon" the watcher informed them.

"Willow? Why, what's happening?"

"It seems that fangless has been hit by a detector, if we don't remove it they'll find him even here" Xander explained clearly pleased to know the answer.

"Oh..hey! I don't want the army to invade my home."

"That's why I called Willow, she'll make a spell to twist the signal the time we'll need t remove the detector. Have you got some alcohol Julien?"

"I got some brandy, why?"

"Do you wanna get drunk? I won't let someone half drunk operate me."

"I need it to anaesthetize while I remove that thing from your shoulder."

"Oh"

"What do you need more?"

Anya and her prepared all he needed and five minutes later even the red haired arrived in order to help them.

Spike laid down on the sofa and while Willow recited the spell, Giles took out the dector.

"How much time do you still need?" Xander asked anxious.

"I'm not a doctor so I need more time"

The red haired finished the spell, the light turned off for a moment while the air seemed to be full of electricity.

"I guess it worked" the witch said, satisfied, once that everything went back normal.

"I've almost done" Giles said.

Spike took the bandy bottle, he just finished it and he was almost asleep.

"Here it is" the watcher shouted, putting out the bullet and keeping it tight into the pliers.

"It's enormous" Anya said.

"Let's free of it" Giles started in a serious way "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but it's for your safe, you must leave the city, is dangerous with that soldiers aound"

Julien felt her breath missing, leaving the city? Forever? He couldn't do it…

"I won't go until that guys won't undo what they did to me."

"And how do you think to do it? Telling him to heal you because you miss killing?"

"Do you think it would work?"

"Spike, I'm serious, here's not safe for you."

"It isn't for none of us..."

Buffy stood on the doorstep with the expression of who just spent her life worst quarter, the face pale and bruised…

**tbc...**


	10. 10:Do you wanna work for me?

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/added to alerts this story!**

**Also...obviously this story needs a beta... message me if you're interested!xDD**

**Please...:P

* * *

**

**Chap.10: Do you wanna work for me?**

"What happened?"

"Are you ok?"

They started asking all together, but Buffy shut them up with a hand

"I've been called by professor Walsh today" she began to tell "she told there was a demon into sewer conduct, she said he was a low level demon, a raccoon, nothing more. So I've been imprisoned with a flawed weapon, fighting two demons all but weak, demons that Enterprise had already caught"

"So did Walsh cornered you?" Julien deduced

"She sent me in a no-return mission"

"Are you sure? Maybe it's a mistake" stammered Willow, astonished.

"I knew" Xander leaped "I knew there was nothing good in those little soldiers!"

"I told immediately that those guys gave me goosebumps" Anya added

"But why do Walsh want to kill you? What sense does it make?" Julien asked worried.

If Walsh had a torment with the blonde, they have to help her, but what if she had it with all the slayers? Maybe it was better to start being ready for anything…

"I don't know, but she didn't like that I did too many questions"

"It means you went too near to something" Anya answered

"Maybe that 314, whatever it is"

"What do we have to do?" Willow asked

"Julien, have you got some weapon here?"

"Yes, but I don't think…"

"We fight against the organization? Well! I'm ready! Attack!"

"Idiot" Spike grumbled sat on the sofa

"Hey, nobody asked for your opinion… although, why are you still here?"

"First this is not your home, second I'm here because… effectively I don't know. Now that soldiers are looking for Buffy, I guess that danger for the old Spike has disappeared. Well, so I guess I'll go rooting for them" he picked his jacket and wore it going out from the room.

Julien followed him "Spike"

The vampire turned back looking at her, rising the famous eyebrow.

"If you want… you can stay here."

If she would explain the embarrass she felt for asking him something like that, the brunette couldn't do it and been looked like she was a weird and bizarre creature didn't help "The organization could still find you and you can't defend yourself with the chip, so if you want to…" the weird heat sensation on her face became stronger, Julien prayed not to be blushed like she was afraid of.

Spike looked at her in silence, for a moment the slayer was sure that he would accept and she felt oddly happy about that, but it was just a moment before the vampire's look became disdained.

"I appreciate the disgusting generosity, snotty. But I'd like to remember you that I don't have any need of your help, now or never. Don't make that face now, it seems obvious… I hate you all, from first to last and if I have to root for someone, it'll be your enemies. I'm just waiting for you to fall dead to dance on your tombs. So… be ok!" he rose his jacket on the head and he ran through the road.

Julien remained paralyzed on the opened door, weird… her stomach hurt again... and why were her eyes burning?

It was absurd.

_"I'm just a fool"_

What did she expect? Spike was a vampire, a demon and she was a slayer… it was normal for him to hate her and wanted her dead, isn't it? So why did she feel bad? Did she really believe they were… friends? _"Stupid… he hates you."_

"Julien" Buffy's voice took her back to reality, the brunette passed her hand on the eyes to dry them "is everything okay?"

"Yes, I was just… closing the door. Did you need something?"

"It's okay if we all hide here for a bit? The organization doesn't have to know a thing about you… so this must be the safest place."

"It's not a problem, I've got two guest room so we're going to be comfortable."

Julien forced herself to smile coming back into the living room to the others.

That night, they shared the rooms, Giles and Xander, Willow, Buffy and Anya with her.

Not without moaning by the latest, which wanted to stay with Xander.

"I don't understand why he gotta stay with Giles. Couldn't Giles stay with you or Buffy?"

"No" the three interested answered in unison.

"Well… in those situations I'm always the one who lose and you never do something to defend me Xander, don't think I don't understand. You love Giles more than me."

"Okay, this discussion is becoming really embarrassing, why don't we argue in private?"

"Don't make anything indecent into my kitchen! Thanks!"

Back into the living room, a few minutes later, Anya was oddly ease… Julien didn't want to know what Xander told her… or worse, made.

The morning after she was waken a few after ten o'clock by the other's voices, it was weird for her to wake up so soon and also much irritating.

She went down still in her pajamas, she didn't want to get dressed, and greeted all.

The girls were on the sofa looking at cartoons and Giles stood aside, sat drinking a cup of coffee with the look of who woke up with terrible mood.

"Xander?" she asked noticing the boy's missing.

"He went buying something to eat, your cupboard is empty."

"I forgot to shop" she went on the sofa too and began to look at Warner's cartoons.

A few after Xander ran into the house, shouting to look the TG.

The journalist was talking about a child, found dead right there in Sunnydale.

He had been wildly killed with something which seemed a big spit.

"The polgora" Buffy exclaimed "Meggie sent us looking for it, but she ordered us to catch him alive. He got things like that on his arms, is his fault!"

"So we found this thing and kill it" Julien resumed.

"Yes but where do we found it?"

Buffy took out her captain look "Julien and I will go looking for some clues on the crime scene, you'll look for everything you can about the Polgora"

Waiting for everybody to nod the blonde stood up with determined look "Ok, let's go Julien."

"Maybe is better if you take off that pajamas before" Xander adviced pointing at them.

"Yes, and I'd like to take a shower before we go out" the brunette agreed.

A half hour after they were both ready for the battle, but along the road Riley joined them.

"Buffy! I'm looking for you since yesterday, something terrible has happened."

Buffy and her stopped walking to hear this terrible new "Professor Walsh is died. She's been killed."

"What?" they both asked.

"Tonight. We don't know who's been."

"Riley, listen…"

Julien felt to be the gatecrasher in a such private discussion so she decided that it was better to disappear for a few.

"Buffy you go with Riley investigating for the Polgora, it could even be the same who killed the Walsh. I'll look around for some information, I'll go to Willy."

"Ok, so see you later."

"Well, bye Riley!"

Julien spent the next hours looking for information.

She went to Willy, but he couldn't tell her nothing useful about the Polgora, or where it was.

He didn't see him around, or at least this was what he said.

He could lie, but Willy wasn't someone who risked slayer's anger for nothing.

So she went back home empty-handed, with the sensation that something important was escaping from her in that situation.

She found everybody gathered into the kitchen, they were talking worried "What's happening?"

"Is Riley" Willow explained "it seems he's bad, but we don't understand what he's got."

"Maybe they made something to him at the Enterprise" Anya said.

"I don't know, but it's time to find it out" Buffy said.

"What do you wanna do?"

"I'll go with Xander into theirs headquarter, I'll try to discover something about the 314 and Riley."

"Why Xander? You can't have Xander, bring Julien. She's got super muscles like you."

"I need someone that could seem a soldier and Xander here's the only one who can… and then Julien is too young, they'll catch her immediately."

"And what have I got to do meanwhile?" the brunette asked feeling outcast, even if she wasn't sorry not to go into the crazies headquarter.

"Try to look for some information more… you too, keep on researching… and Julien go on patrol, let's see what you find out, okay?"

"Ok, patrol. I can do this."

So Buffy and Xander went to the college, Willow and the others went to Giles looking among the looker's books for a good way to kill a Polgora demon, while Julien, armed with picket, went to the cemetery.

Along the road she stopped buying an hot dog, hunting always made her starving.

It wasn't a very busy road, there was nigh Willy's club and people used to stay far from it on night.

She was paying when she thought to hear a scuffle's noises in the neighbour "Could you keep it for a moment?" she asked the vender, before she went controlling.

The noises came from a bad lighted alley, coming nearer she saw three people's shadows, two were clearly demons, she couldn't see good the third, but he was really losing "You kill demons, and no one of us do this" she heard one of them, while the other opened the club's door, lighting up the road.

Julien looked at the person on the ground… if he was a human she had to help him, right? Even if he seemed all fake… the brunette was hesitant about to go or not when she noticed the long leather jacket and the blond platinum hairs, those features were unmistakable.

"If I see you around again..." the demon kept on threatening him and the brunette went on without minding "Hey!" she shouted "You'll be better if you disappear little monster or I'll kick you."

"Awesome" muttered the vampire still on the ground.

He got his face covered in cuts, a smashed lip and the right eye bruised and swollen.

"The second slayer, obvious… relax, I don't wanna fight with you… and you, don't show yourself around, or it'll be worse" he went into the club slamming the door back.

Julien bent for helping Spike standing up, but the vampire slapped her hands, giving himself sharp pain to his head "Why don't you take care of your business?" he hissed to her.

"What? That's how you thank me?"

"Thanking you? For what? For ruining that little reputation I still had?"

"Uh?"

"You're a slayer! Can't you guess? You just informed the entire demoniac world that I'm you ally, a kind of stupid follower! Come on, that's the big Spike! Hidden behind the snotty slayer's skirt! 126 years spent building a name and you come and destroy everything in a moment! Thanks for all! Now go away!"

He shouted the last part pointing a finger on her chest, Julien wasn't afraid, or felt guilty.

Okay, maybe it hasn't been a genial idea, maybe she really ruined his reputation or something, probably demons didn't like the ones who were defended from the slayers, but she couldn't even stay aside and look while they hit him, could she?

The brunette rose her arms, surrendered trying to calm the vampire "Well I'm sorry, okay? Are you happy? I didn't want to do something bad. Just help you, I couldn't leave you there!"

"Why?"

"Eh?"

"Good heavens! What have you got into that head? I-hate-you! How could I make you understand it?"

"I understood. You hate me, you'll dance on my tomb… blablabla… instead I think you're _nice_, let's say I like you… a little bit, so I decided that I don't care if you hate me, because I-don't-hate-you."

"I understood..." he looked at her seriously "you're totally stupid… what a bother" he stood up with a groan of pain and he turned on a cigarette.

"Where are you going?"

"Far from here, in a place where I don't risk to be infected by your idiocy."

"You could work with us."

"You don't understand, do you? You're one of those people who stick to you like glue… I don't save the world and overall I don't save that gang of idiots you call friends!

"Let's work just for me then!"

"What makes you believe to be excluded from the idiots?"

"Think so… you need money to pay the cigarettes right? I can give it to you"

"You want to pay me for killing demons?"

Spike seemed suddenly more interested in her offer

"Bingo!"

"And how much would you pay me?"

"500 dollars by month."

Spike laughed and threw away the stub "You have to do better, I worth more… let's try a thousand by month."

"You don't worth so much… 600."

"800"

"700 not a dollar more."

The vampire pretended to think for a bit and Julien held her breath… _"accept, accept…"_

"Deal, so, but I want the first payment or it's broken."

"I don't go out with so much money."

"No readies, no deal."

"I'll give you tomorrow, ok?"

Spike shrugged "Keep your word, I'll come to draw. Oh, snotty? Tell someone about this deal and I'll consider it finished, okay? I don't want those stupid snotty to think I'm their little slave or something. The deal is just about you and I accept it just because I need money."

"Ok, I'll keep it for me."

_"I haven't got any intention to say it to someone…"_

"So, see you tomorrow… snotty"

Spike disappeared and Julien remained vacant into the alley.. did she just took on Spike? For 700 dollars?

Maybe she was really crazy…

But… she thought going far…

It wasn't so bad, although…

…she felt almost…_ happy…_

**tbc...**


	11. 11:First Patrol

**Chap.11: First Patrol**

Buffy updated them that morning.

It seemed the organization created a new kind of monster using pieces of caught demons and now that thing, this Adam, went around killing people in a very macabre and violent way and, further, he seemed to be very strong and bad.

Perfect.

What else they could expect from Sunnydale?

Did she already say she never liked the Enterprise?

They were all together in her living room again.

Xander tried in vain to adjust one of the organization's weapon _the destroyer_ or something, helped by Willow, but both seemed not to find out something.

Giles instead, tried to collect as quickly as possible his stuff, he couldn't wait to go away.

The man couldn't appreciate the hospitality.

"What do we do now?" she asked Buffy who stayed sat in a corner, thoughtful

"We'll go on patrolling until we find Adam, we can't allow him to keep on killing indiscriminately"

"And what are you going to do with Riley?" the red haired asked her, sitting by her side

"I don't know… I'm afraid they make something to him"

"I'm sure he'll be okay, at the organization will cure him"

"I agree with Julien, there they have wherewithal to sort out of everything"

"I don't know, I just want to see him"

The following silence was interrupted by an exasperate Xander's cry who threw the destroyer on the ground.

"Well I guess is time to leave, thank you for the hospitality Julien"

"Nothing Mr. Giles"

"It'll be better to go then" Willow and Xander greeted her and went back together talking again about the broken rifle.

"See you tonight for the patrol"

Julien nodded and looked her go far before she closed the door.

The day passed as always, a bit of TV, videogames and some book's pages.

She was having dinner into the kitchen when the door opened and Spike came in as nothing.

"What are you doing here?"

"What? I came to draw like I said" he held his hand to the brunette and motioned her to give him the money

The brunette looked at him annoyed _"Education is all but his forte" _

Seeing that the vampire seemed to be unaware of her looks, Julien abstained from comments and went taking the money from her room murmuring about really greedy vampires.

"That's it" she gave him the money and she returned eating her ham and mushrooms pizza.

"Hey, those are only 350… we said seven hundred, where's the other?"

"I'll give you at the end of the month"

"What?"

"You do nothing but remember us how much you're bad and unreliable… how may I know you won't give up after I paid you?"

Spike analyzed her, like he was looking for a way to sort out until at the end, he rolled the cash up and put them in his pocket.

"Finally you're learning. So, who we gotta kill? Go, I'm wound up and ready for the struggle"

He stole her a slice of pizza

"Nothing, by now, tonight I just have to patrol with Buffy"

"What? You're unloading me for the blonde? And what have I got to do? I cancelled my engagement in order to come with you"

"Because looking at the TV is an important engagement. Whatever for tonight we do this, maybe tomorrow you'll help me looking for Adam"

"Adam?"

"A demon created by the Enterprise. Bad and really strong, he likes to slaughter people… maybe do you know him?"

"No, it's not my kind of guy, but I can see if I found out something"

"What a kindness"

"Not get used to" he said sitting in order to eat another pizza's slice.

Julien looked at the clock, it was almost late "Well, I gotta go now" she stood up, but the vampire didn't move.

Julien stopped and looked at him, but he acted as nothing had happened.

The girl cleared her throat finally outshining his attention and he moved his hand to the door "Let's go, I won't miss you"

"I won't let you alone into my home, go out"

"Oh let's go. My TV broke and then I wanna use the playstation"

Julien sighed, taking care of Spike was like taking care of a child.

"Let me stay here, I promise you I'll be good and then you'll have to appreciate the fact I asked your permission. You know… technically I can stay here whenever I want"

"Okay, I surrender, let's do what you want. Don't destroy a thing"

The blond put a hand on his chest with his most hurt expression.

The brunette went out laughing.

The patrol turned out to be not so useful, the only one thing they found were the rests of an Adam's new victim, a demon this time.

Julien never saw something so disgusting, the demon's carcass had been left hung to a tree, totally dismembered.

"But why did he kill him this way?" she asked a few after at Xander's home

"It's evident, he's studying biology" the blonde asked, who walked thoughtful through the living room.

"We must stop Adam, but I have to save Riley before"

"Save? And how do you think to go in?"

"This time we'll do my way"

Buffy started the description of her plan… a plan possible just in Chalie's Angels… sure, if she would be Cameron Diaz… surely she wouldn't stay in Sunnydale, she would go in Beverly Hills, she would have a villa with swimming pool and a lot of money… and…

"_Let's concentrate Julien"_ she reproached herself, but it wasn't useful…

The plan was absurd and nobody was supposed to carry it out; luckily the blonde was interrupted by the coming of the boy in dooubt.

Paled and worn out, but safe and sound, Riley appeared on the Xander's cellar doorstep.

Without speak they left them alone and Julien promised Buffy to take care alone of the patrol that night so she would have more time with her boyfriend.

When she went back home, Spike already left, leaving everything oddly in order.

Julien was almost upset

After a long relaxing shower she took her medicine and went to sleep, that night would be again on work.

That night she was in company of the vampire around the cemetery.

"Where are all the demons of this place?" the blond moaned after a few

"It's because of the Enterprise, they stole our job"

"You'll soon be unemployed"

"Nah.. I don't think so. They will soon be in damages too big for them and they'll leave us solving their messes. That's all"

"Actually, it already happened. You said this Adam came out from them, didn't he?"

"Exactly, but have you got any idea of how many demons they have down there? Imagine what would happen if they escape! That would be a trouble"

"I don't know… I think it would be funny"

"I had no doubts… here there's no demon, neither Adam"

A sudden hit to her back made her lose her balance, a hand squeezed her throat and a few after she was knocked against a crypt, a strong pain crossed her back and neck, leaving her stunned. The vampire who attacked her put himself in front of her ready to hit her, but when he showed his fangs his eyes opened wide and a picket appeared on his chest, destroying him a few moments after.

Spike threw her the picket and dusted his jacket, disgusted "Tell me, do you use to fight this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"That you must train more if you wanna come to your next birthday"

"What? Listen to me!" Julien stood up, but a sharp pain forced her to stand by the wall behind.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, just a scratch"

"Do you see? A slayer would never be caught out! Did you looker taught anything?"

Suddenly Sam's memory gave her a new sharp pain, but this time it wasn't physical pain which made her feel bad

"Come on, come with me"

"Where?"

"Do you always have to do all these questions? Just come"

Julien followed him to an old and wet crypt, furnished like someone lived there.

"What's that place?"

"My home"

"Wow, you surely have taste…" she said ironically

"Ah-ah, very funny. Sit on the sofa and take off your clothes"

Julien felt her face blushing "What?" she squeaked stammering.

Spike rose an eyebrow clearly amused and went near her without talking.

Took by panic Julien withdrawed until she was against the sofa, to another vampire's step, the brunette fell sit and Spike took advantage of it to fit her between his arms and the sofa.

"Julien…" he whispered making his face nearer to the girl's one "you know, you're really a girl…" he approached his lips to her ear while Julien's heart was beating quickly "…perverse" he ended cracking up a lot.

Julien remained paralyzed… she fell for it such an idiot!

"What did you think I wanted to do to you? I can't believe it! You had to see your face"

"Is you who asked…"

"To look at your wound snotty!"

"Oh"

"So?"

"What?"

Spike sighed exasperate "The shirt, take off the shirt… I promise I'll try to resist from the huge temptation you are"

At the end the brunette satisfied him, the vampire analyzed with care her wounds then he ordered her to stay still.

He went far for a few minutes, the brunette heard noises of something moved and thrown up before he came back with a first aid kit in his hands.

Julien looked at him astonished. A vampire with disinfectant? That was kind of a weird vision.

"Don't look at me like that, every vampire got one... we need it… for…"

The brunette started looking at him incredulous.

"Okay.. I stole it, are you happy now? This is what I do… I'm bad and I steal"

Julien laughed "You're really weird"

"Listen who talks" he snorted.

After he medicated her Spike turned the TV on, he didn't ask her to stay, but not even sent her away, so Julien made herself comfortable on the sofa looking it with him.

**tbc**


	12. 12:Oz

**Chap.12: Oz**

Oz was back.

So.. suddenly.

They were all to Mr. Giles dipped on the same arguing about Adam, _we don't know where is him, what he's doing or how to stop him, _when everybody failed silence and there, on the doorstep he had appeared… Oz.

Julien didn't see him since the Amarra's story and she never asked directly why he didn't live more in Sunnydale or which relation he got now with Willow, she always felt it was better not to talk about it and now she understood why.

By the others faces, nobody was expecting the guy to come back… ever.

Oz went immediately toward the red haired asking her to talk in private and Tara went away saying she had a lecture. She seemed really embarrassed, she was a very shy and reserved girl, but also very sweet. Willow introduced her to them some months before, she knew her to a magic club and even if she was an original guy that escape seemed to be totally absurd.

When the couple went away they stayed all in silence, it seemed the Adam thing was overcoming.

"Wow…" Xander exclaimed "Is Oz… I mean… Oz"

"Yeah" Buffy replied staring at thin air.

Riley seemed to understand less than her into that story, and she liked it.

At the end, Giles tired or their _'superficial and useless talks'_ sent them all away from his flat and she was again with nothing to do.

Buffy wanted to patrol with Riley so she was again excluded.

Willow was busy with Oz and Xander and Anya were glued, so she could just stay home looking at the TV, her life was really depressing.

Maybe she had to make some friends… but the point was that she didn't want to…

Coming nearer her home, she noticed two very weird things… the first was the light on and the second the din which seemed to arrive from the inside… did someone organized a party without saying it to her?

"Spike!" she shouted when she was inside, the vampire was laid on the sofa with his boots and a beer tin into his hand, when he saw her he didn't react "Already here?" he just asked, with annoyed voice "Haven't you got something better to do all day long?"

Julien went turning off the stereo

"Hey! I was listening to it!"

"Yes and the whole Sunnydale with you, if you're forced to sneak into my house and use my things, just be a bit decent in doing it"

The vampire answered with an incomprehensible groan "I hope you bought me some beer, your fridge is empty"

As answer the brunette threw on him the shop bag "Help me doing up those things and we'll see"

Without waiting for an answer Julien went into the kitchen and the vampire followed her a few after, leaving the bag fall on the table "So? What's happening among the good ones?"

"Nothing of particular… oh, wait! Oz is back"

"The wolf?"

"Exactly, they were all weird, like he was a ghost"

"I guess the red haired ran toward his strong arms"

"I don't know, actually she didn't seem so happy… confused more than other"

Opening the fridge to put the eggs inside she noticed it was full of blood's bag.

"Why is my fridge full of blood?"

"Mine is broken… I needed a place to keeping it cool… I don't want it to ruin"

"It's disgusting" she said pushing the bags aside to make some place

"Hey be careful not to break them, the blood is expensive today"

"Well, I pay"

"But I earn it hardly... what about tonight? Who are we going to kick?"

"Nobody, tonight is Buffy and Riley's shift"

"What? And you allow the lovebirds to steal you the show?"

"Why not?"

She put on fire a water pot reading the instructions on a pasta's package, it seemed to be easy.

Water, salt, pasta and it's done… mmh… she could even flavour them, sauce, pesto… okay, maybe she didn't think about the sauces…

"I'm telling serious, the slayer walk over you…"

She had to have something to put into the pasta without cooking it…

Ransacking into the ledges she found a tuna fish can… better than nothing… "_who says I can't put it in?"_

"She calls you whenever she wants, she orders you to stay home… well… what the Hell are you doing?"

"Eh?"

No, she wasn't listening to him… but it was Spike, he liked to talk for hours without say a thing… and in those cases she could stay there and listen to him, could she?

"What are you cooking?"

"Spaghetti, italian recipe… I put some tuna fish in it"

"Mmm… make mine well done"

"Pardon?"

"And put some blood in… it's good on everything"

Julien sighed an put some spaghetti more to cook.

The pasta was squidgy and salted, but edible.

Spike moaned for all the time about the blood wasted to cover the taste of it, but it ate them all.

They spent the afternoon looking at Passions and the others soap the vampire was addicted to, Julien introduced him to Dawson Creek and Friends and she had fun hearing him moaning about every scene.

At sunset the blond went away saying that he had _"very important and pressing things to end up with" _and the brunette didn't want to ask him what kind of things those were, she didn't know, she wasn't hurt… right?

The day after was training day, the looker wasn't severe as Sam, he always said he learned from Buffy that manuals were useless in real life and that slayers had to be free in living their lives, so he trained them three days per head in all hand to hand disciplines, in using disparate weapons, he taught them using the crystals and their properties and the importance of meditation… a really boring thing she thought, even because staying still for all that time made her feel nervous.

Unfortunately that day Giles suddenly decided to change program and instead of waiting her with some nice weapon, he waited for her with a table full of books.

"They told me that your looker took care about your school training" he started cleaning his glasses, Julien nodded.

For a moment she thought about ling to him, but was if he would discover it?

"Well, so I guess it's better to start it up since you interrupted now that established here in city"

"Okay" the brunette sighed

Out of her favor Giles started testing her to find out how much she knew about each subject and he obviously thought it was necessary a deep study for math and Latin… the nightmare was not supposed to ever end…

So she was absorbed in a morning of disequations looking for the value of that stupid x… she didn't understand at all why she cared about that value…

She was reading the dictionary once again, convinced that chickens hadn't got a lot to share with war and soldiers when Willow came in running and calling Giles loud.

"He's up floor"

"Oh, you're here too Julien! I'm sorry about the noisy coming in, but it's an emergency"

"What's happening?" Giles asked going down the stairs attracted from the confusion.

"Is about Oz, Enterprise caught him"

"What? How did it happen?"

"He lost his control, he turned at university… I think he attacked Tara… it was her who called me"

"Well, Julien go calling for Buffy and Xander too… we'll need their help"

"Right now!" the brunette ran to the telephone to call the others.

A few after the gang was all into English's living room.

"Tara just said they caught him before he came to me, so it's not went by a lot of time"

"Riley doesn't answer" Buffy went sitting on the sofa, they hoped the boy could help them from the inside, maybe with some information, but he seemed to be unreachable.

"It seems we'll have to penetrate into the Enterprise again"

"And how could we go in? it's impossible" Anya moaned, sat next to Xander

"We can't wait more…"

"Yes, you're right" the blonde decided

"I wanna come too" the red haired said determinate, in spite of Buffy's trying, she was inflexible.

While they was trying to think about a plan, Spike appeared. He came into the house silent, surprising them all and offering to help them, he said he knew a safe way to go in without being discovered. He obviously asked to get a huge payment and seeing Julien's glare he just nodded in an innocent way.

After all, nobody knew about their deal, did they?

So the small saving group left following the vampire.

Like he promised, they went in without problems, the door opened magically under Spike's touch.

There was something terribly weird in that story and how could the vampire know about Oz?

"_Bad news run fast"_ he said, but that was too much…

And then demons hated him by now… why they had to share with him last Sunnydale's stories?

Her thoughts was suddenly interrupted when there was an outage in all the headquarter: Giles and Willow did it, that was their turn.

Buffy led them among organization's dark aisles, the aim was to find Riley or someone who could led them from their friends.

Along the walls there were a lot of anonymous doors, but there were no cages, or demons, that was on lower floors.

They broke down a pair of doors, finding nothing, two were empty offices, the third a bedroom, empty too.

Buffy went nearer the fourth pointing the crossbow inside, from there a man in his forties jumped up the bed confused "What the Hel is happening?" he cursed into darkness

"It's really simple…" Buffy smiled pointing the crossbow on his face "one of our friends is here for a mistake and now you're going to tell us where is he. Stand up!"

The man stood up with annoyed expression and looked at them searching for an escape hatch, but the room was small and they were all armed "I don't know who are you talking about, we don't have any civil here and…"

"We're talking about OZ, he's a werewolf… does it remember something to you now?"

"Him again? Why are you all worried about that monster? Before Finn betrayed us and now…"

Julien silenced him with a nudge into the stomach "Care about your talking, the only monster I see is you"

"What was you telling about Riley? Where is him?" Buffy intervened immediately worried about her boyfriend

Still massaging his stomach, the man told about Riley's failed try of saving their friend "Now he's kept into a cell, waiting for the most right punishment"

The blonde pointed the crossbow on his back "Lead us to him and no jokes"

They went two floors down before they came to a new aisle, every sort of demon struggled in small glass cages, snarling to their passage and hitting punches against the walls.

Riley was into a room, there was a cot and a table as companion, he wasn't hurt, but he seemed to be shocked by the happening.

When he saw them he went toward Buffy and hugged her "I tried to get Oz free, but I failed.."

"Relax, we know all"

Julien pushed their hostage into the cell "Well, thank you for the help. I guess Riley could nicely replace you from now on. See you!" she smiled

"You won't got away with it"

"Oh actually I think we will"

"Let's go! Riley will lead the way, we have to find Oz"

The boy nodded and followed them out of the cell where they left locked their escort.

Oz was a bit ahead, into the same aisle.

They found him locked into a cage such whatever demon, even if he had his human look, but he was without clothes and he was very pale.

"Oz, are you ok?"

"Well, I've been better" he answered with feeble voice

They helped him standing up and carried him out.

All things considered it has been easy to free him, but Julien told that the ones of the organization was dead losses.

"Well, it seems that everything went smoothly"

"Yeah.. so I go home, Anya is waiting for me"

"Yes, we have something to solve too" Buffy smiled glaring at the boy.

Oz and Willow nodded going away together and Giles greeted and went home after he told Julien he was waiting for her next morning to get back Latin's lessons suspended that afternoon.

Spike was waiting for her in front of her house, he wasn't oddly went in "See? Haven't I been amazing?"

"Yeah.. really big…" the brunette sighed "Are you hiding something?" maybe if she caught him off guard, she would wring the truth.

A weird expression went through the vampire's face, but Julien couldn't read it "No… why?"

"I could even be a snotty like you say, but not a fool… Oz is caught and five minutes after you arrived with the perfect plan to save him and a way to go into the Enterprise! Spike… what's happening?"

For a moment the vampire seemed about to confess every secret he was keeping, but it was just a second before he changed his mind and rose his defenses.

He straightened his shoulders and turned on a cigarette and spouting the smoke slowly on her face.

The Big Bad mask was back on the show

"I don't know what you're talking about… snotty" he spelled slowly "I'd got a way to supplement my income and I did it, that's all. Now, if you're not sorry, I got things more important to do than stay here and talk with you. See you"

He disappeared in the night, leaving behind the acre cigarette smell…

**tbc**


	13. 13:Fights

**Chap.13: Fights**

She woke up in the middle of the night with dried throat and sweated body, she obviously didn't remember a thing, but by the pain she felt in each body's bone it hasn't been a good experience.

She stayed still staring in the darkness for who knows how much, maybe if she could think about anything she would fell back asleep.

When her hands started quivering uncontrolled, she gave up.

She stood up slowly and went into the bathroom in order to wash her face.

Her reflection into the mirror showed her terribly pale, with swollen red eyes like she cried for hours.

It has to be a very horrible vision, Julien was happy not to see it.

Nausea reached her sudden and unexpected, a cramp upset her stomach forcing her to empty it… on her clothes.

Seeing covered with that disgusting stuff and feeling the acre smell of it made her kneel in front of the toiler, throwing up twice.

Because of the effort the head started to hurt too.

Like she was in trance she changed her pajama and washed again her face, washing good her teeth trying to erase the bitter taste.

She went downstairs huddling up on the sofa, with her knees on her chest.

She could pretend someone was embracing her, she didn't even remember what it felt to have a hot body close, and be soothed from someone.

Suddenly the pain was no more just physical, she stayed like that… into the dark and silent room, crying and sobbing for a pain that now was coming somewhere from her.

A pain she couldn't tell about to anybody… and that nobody would never understand.

"Well, I guess she can start again from we have been interrupted yesterday in the afternoon… so…"

Giles gave her the Latin's book, it seemed she had to face again her friend Cicero… it seemed that her headache was about to become worse soon.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale"

"No, I'm fine… I'm just tired… you know, after the mission yesterday"

"If you say it. I go making some tea, do you want it?"

Julien nodded distant, while all her energies was concentrated on the book she had in front.

The truth was that she felt like a wet rag, it happened to her to wake up and feel bad, but effects had never last this much, she couldn't understand what it meant, was the danger bigger than always? Or was her body starting to feel the dasila's effects? Did she already reach the limit?

The worst was that now she had not even someone to ask it to, Sam was the only one who knew about her visions, but now he wasn't there anymore.

Maybe it was her destiny to keep them hidden, everybody who knew about it despised her or died… thare was surely a reason.

Maybe there was some curse on her… like her mother told.

Her sad thoughts was interrupted by the appearing of Spike who burst into looker's house, gasping and with a burning blanket on his head.

When he saw Julien he threw the blanket on the ground and went nearer the table

"What are you doing here?" the brunette asked mistrustful

It was weird to Spike to go and bore Giles, he always made it for money, but he didn't need it anymore… if he hadn't already laying out all.

"I have to talk to the English… I've got a big thing for the slayer… the real one.. are you studying Latin?" he asked, analyzing with disgusted look the dictionary

"Yes.. is an agony"

"What are you doing here? Again…" Giles went out the kitchen with two steaming cups, he put one on the table in front of the brunette and he kept the other

"I have to talk to the slayer, do you know where she is?"

"You can talk to me"

"I don't think so, this is important stuff. I'll tell just to the queen bee in person and if the trade succeed I'll give you some first class information"

"About Adam?" the brunette interfered looking bad at him

Didn't he have a kind of contact with her? She thought she pay him for this, not to go and selling out information to third.

"Probably. There are some disks at the organization, I know where they are and how to get them, but in trade I wanna be paid good... protection, blood for a year and other things"

"Done" Giles said cleaning his glasses, but Spike laughed amused "Like I trust your word, I wanna talk to Buffy"

"I'll tell her this"

"Like she hear you"

Julien was always more confused, Spike wasn't just trying to bypass her so manifestly, but know he wanted to be picketed by Giles too… he was always more weird… maybe the chip was frying his brain… at least that would mean the vampire got one.

"He treats you like an old pensioned librarian and…"

"Spike why don't you just get those disks for us? We'll tell Buffy"

The blond analyzed her thoughtful, maybe remembering their talking last night, maybe noticing at last that his behavior _was _weird.

"Okay, but I want to be paid then" he ended up at last, he rose his blanket and went out without looking back

Giles seemed suddenly depressed, he put down the tea cup and replaced it with a brandy... what was happening? Maybe he was upset about the pensioned librarian thing… she must reassure him… sooth him… "_nah_"… she wasn't able to, it was better to pretend everything was okay, and then Giles was an adult, he didn't need such childish things.

"Do I have to call Buffy? Or Xander?"

"Yeah…yes" he answered without listening to her "We'll do this" he sat on the sofa staring at thin air and filling his glass with more liquor… and more

"_Ah yes, he's actually an adult nothing to say"_

"You shouldn't drink so much" she just restricted to express loud, but the man didn't seem to hear her at all.

"_So let's do whatever you like…"_

"Xander should have a uniform, tell him to bring it to Spike for his mission"

Julien really hoped that someone was supposed to save her.

"_Not a pensioned librarian, we're already at mummification…"_ she thought.

At least with Giles drunk on the sofa her history's lesson skipped one more time.

Willow and Tara reached for her that afternoon with the pc.

They would control the disks content.

"Why is Mr. Giles drinking?"

"I think he's a bit depressed because of Spike's not guessed comment"

"Spike? But we all know he do this just because he can't bit anymore… that's his way to give vent to his feelings" Willow seemed to justify the vampire, she really was too sweet, but Julien thought that story was always less probable.

Okay, it _was_ Spike… and to have some fun he annoyed people, but go to Giles home just to insult him was a bit over his limits, wasn't it?

And what about the disks?

Until the night before he didn't know a thing and now… taa-dan… disks with information the were looking for… it was really too much absurd.

In a few hours things at Giles's instead of becoming better, seemed to become worse.

The looker, totally drunk, was up with everybody, Tara and Willow tried bravely to ignore him, but they was on their limit, and Spike coming was the drama upheaval.

The vampire came in running and gasping like he had a monster back… _"When did vampires start gasping? What's that? A Spike new oddity?"_

He gave some disks to Willow and moaned about his paying.

"They're encrypt" the red haired passed judgment, passing them to the pc and turning her nose up annoyed

Giles sighed and went upstairs "Could you open it?" Tara asked Willow in the vain trying to lighten the mood, exploit underdog the brunette thought.

"Oh sure… decrypt a government code with my personal… practically impossible"

"_I thought…"_

So the blond decided to do another of his stupid things… "_He's surely in mood for it today"_ the brunette thought leering him.

First he insulted Willow for her missing of abilities in using pc… and no one ever dared doing this.

Then, seeing that his sweet comments seemed to go on thin air he thought to hit her tastes too. Tastes Julien didn't even know.

"Your friend were talking too, they said this new thing is distracting you, but that it's just passing" he said, like someone who was talking about the weather.

"What thing?" the red haired stammered in evident embarrass

"The one between you"

At this point Julien coughed and goggled… between them? Willow and Tara? Tara and Willow? …well… Tara and Willow?

Was she the only one who didn't know about that? Why was she the only one who didn't know? Why did Spike knew and she didn't? wasn't she trustworthy?

She thought she was nice to Willow… but maybe she made a mistake… but Willow liked Spike! Willow liked everybody!

"Xander said it was just up to date"

So Xander knew too, and if he knew Anya did too… she was sad, really sad… she thought she was part of the group, the buddie, instead she was only the stranger, the one more…

"_well… amazing…" _s they could even kill each other, she didn't care, nothing… at all.

"Well, call me when you'll end up with something and be sure to have my payment ready" the vampire ended oddly satisfied of himself before he left leaving a weigh atmosphere.

With Anya and Xander's coming, a few after, things didn't become better.

Xander hadn't got a better look than Willow… maybe Spike revealed something to him too.. _"Surprise"_

At the end, Buffy came too, she just had an ugly meeting with Adam into a cave, it seemed the robot kicked her good…

"I don't need the disks this way" she mumbled clearly with very bad mood to Willow.

"_Well…"_ Julien thought feeling higher tension "_today everybody got the Pms… it has to be some contagious virus…"_

"Okay… maybe if Julien and I went back to that cave…"

"Being killed" mumbled Xander from the sofa she sat on, sulk

"Ehi!" Julien moaned

"Adam is going to remove your arms" Willow marked up.

They were exaggerating, they didn't even fight with this Adam and they already thought she was loser? They were totally undervaluing her.

"You can't come, it's too dangerous" the blonde said

"Sure, so when you'll both come back in pieces we could be soothed by the fact we didn't come"

"Ehi!" the brunette tried again, but no one was paying attention to her.

Anya carried her out from an arm

"It would be better to go before the struggle start" Tara explained going with them in Giles bathroom.

So now she was perched on basin's border, listening to the magnificent trio that was screaming

"Do you think we'll stay close here long?" Anya asker a few after

"I hope not… I got an important movie to see"

Some minutes after the shouts suddenly stopped "Do you think someone's dead?"

Tara looked at her worried, Anya seemed to think seriously about that "I don't think so… we would here someone falling on the ground"

The door was noisily closed… someone left.

They tried to go out silent, into the living room there was only Willow and Xander, clearly enraged and without any will to talk about it.

"Let's go" the hissed unison toward their companions, which followed them greeting Julien.

Remained alone, seeing that Giles hadn't came down anymore, Julien decided to go to her home.

Spike wasn't obviously there and nothing had been touched into the fridge… he didn't come even for the blood… she sighed.

Maybe the night before she made a mistake by accuse him so clearly. Maybe the vampire wasn't hiding something.

"_And maybe Santa exists"_

The brunette drunk her medicine, a bit sad, and she went to bed even if it was soon… hoping for a better tomorrow.

**tbc**


	14. 14:A new deal

**Chap.14: A new deal**

Even if she had a night of deep sleep and without interruption, she woke up in the morning like she hadn't sleep at all and further her headache didn't give her breathing space, by now it was clear it was because of her visions and the only one thing she could relate them to was Adam.

If the problem was the android there was just a way to solve it: destroy him as soon as possible.

Unluckily the victory seemed to be always farer.

Buffy didn't talk more to anybody and the others didn't talk to each other, Spike acted oddly and Giles decided to be alcoholic.

Maybe she could go to Adam's cave, the one Buffy was in the day before, looking for some clues… oor maybe the same Adam… not that she really wanted it.

She wasn't sorry about the idea of a very binding battle, but she wanted her limbs… and she wasn't sure to be on level with the monster.

"_Let's hope he'll not kick me…"_

She wore a pair of jeans torn on the knees, a pair of army boots and a black sweatshirt with drawing on a skull with a big pink heart behind.

She took some pickets and two stilettos she hid into the boots, she didn't know what kind of weapon she would need, but it was better to be light.

Once in the cave, there wasn't too much to see, it wasn't too big.

Deep there were some turned off computers, no disks, no traces or clue to work on: nothing.

Useless travel, it seemed,

"What are you doing here? Did you lose yourself?"

Julien turned back, Spike was some steps away from her with a turned on cigarette in his mouth and the look of who was caught into a market stealing cookies.

"This is Adam den" she explained with innocent expression

If the vampire was hiding something it was better not to make him suspicious with too many questions or explanations.

"I already know it, I was looking for some information for you. You asked it to me"

"Really?"

"Sure"

For a moment Julien felt guilty for doubting of him… for a moment… before she felt her cynicism come "So you come here in the morning, you risk your life, you risk to meet Adam and being killed… for my 800 dollars?"

"Why not? Do you want to accuse me for something else? Maybe to be ally of this Adam? Come on, do it, that's the reward for my honest work"

A vampire who boast to be honest, now she heard all… Spike boasting for him to be it, was a sign for an imminent apocalypse.

"What are you doing here?"

Buffy appeared grasping an ax.

"I was controlling the cave to see if Adam was still here" the brunette answered immediately

"And you?" the blond asked looking at the vampire suspicious

"He was helping me, I asked him to" the girl answered quickly, the blonde's look wasn't warning something good, if she wouldn't do something Spike would supposed to become soon a heap of ash.

"On day? You must pay him good" she replied looking at the vampire disgusted.

Julien shrugged "I didn't want to come alone… and after yesterday I didn't think you wanted to come with me"

"Hey slayer, did you discover what was on disks? You still have to pay me" Spike intervened

"Not until… Willow is working on it"

"I hope so, you don't have to ignore such important things just because you fought" hearing this the girls both opened their eyes wide.

How could he know about the fight?

"_I didn't tell him a thing and I don't think the others did"_

"Yes… sure" Buffy answered uncertain "Julien, we'll see later, okay?"

The slayer gave her a look of acknowledgement, she would go and look for the red haired and Julien nodded.

"Well I guess it's time to go"

"How did you know they fought?"

"What?"

"Buffy and the others. How did you know? You wasn't there… and I didn't tell you!

"Oh… it's been just intuition… I saw the slayer was out of phase… it was obvious"

"Yeah, sure" the brunette said looking bad at him

He was clearly plotting something… but what?

"Now I really have to go, see you… I'll contact you if and when I'll find some information about our man… okay?"

The blond went away quickly, but this time Julien wasn't supposed to be content of his words.

She was tired of this situation, it was time to solve it.

She decided to follow him away, with some luck the vampire wouldn't notice it.

She followed him through the sewers and then forward the university campus, first Julien thought he was going to Willow, to torment her a bit about the disks story, but she didn't employ a lot to understand it wasn't like this.

He drifted in a all different way, it just seemed he was going… "_No, it's impossible, Spike wouldn't come back there ever…"_

He sneaked in a secondary door and up on an hidden stair, he disappeared over a wooden trapdoor.

The brunette waited a few moments before she followed him and when she did it she found herself into an aisle she didn't know, but that clearly was part of the Enterprise's headquarter.

It was an aisle built with metal panels, there was a closed door at the end of it, with the panel to insert the access code next to it, code that she obviously didn't have, but Spike clearly had.

Why did he have it? That was a good question.

She came near to the door trying to understand what was happening, she heard two voices arguing inside. One was low and robotic, she never heard it before, but the other was familiar… it belonged to the vampire.

Who was he talking to? And why at the Enterprise? The brunette didn't understand.

Something seized her back lifting her in the air, Julien agitated in vain, she turned her head back to see her aggressor and she was face to face with… she wasn't sure of it… a sort of an half man, half robot… a monster of space age movie.

If she didn't believe to have to keep her dignity she would scream, but she was a slayer and slayer didn't scream for fear.

She tried to kick him, but he was flawless.

"You are Adam" the girl whispered, but the monster laughed, amused "No, but if you want to know him, I'll show you right now"

He threw her against the door with such a violence that it broke down under her weight.

Splinters scratched her through the sweatshirt, making her groan for the pain.

Julien found herself on the floor of the other room, unable to stand up or just to breathe, under the astonished and confused eyes of Spike and of the one who really had to be Adam.

"What's happening now?" the android asked annoyed

"I found her out prying into"

Adam lifted her from the shirt looking into her eyes "Who are you?" he blew on her face

"I'm Julien, the…" she began to say, but Spike intervened gesturing like a crazy… "my girlfriend" he ended up blinking to her

"_Let's see what a cheek…"_

He pretended he want to help her now? After he clearly allied with the enemies? After he plotted to kill them all? And she trusted him like a fool, she even paid him… and he… and he… she was an idiot!

"Girlfriend?" Adam repeated confused

"Yes… you know… a girl who spend time with you, who distract you…"

"Distract you?"

The brunette became purple… "_What the Hell he's talking about? Is he mad?"_

"Yes… you know it, don't you? You should have in your data"

"I know about humans sexual practices, are you telling that this woman share your bed?"

"Not just the bed… but… yes, exactly" the vampire smiled satisfied

"_What? I'll kill him!"_

"She's a slayer friend, I saw them together once" the second monster interfered.

Julien didn't remember to have ever saw him, but actually she didn't pay a lot of attention on who was around… but she would surely remember such an ugly face.

"It isn't true, you must have confused her with another. She followed me there because I promised her a bit of adrenaline, you know those things excite her. I told you to wait outside Karen"

"_Karen? Karen? I'm going to torture and kill him… I'll give you the adrenalin, idiot!"_

"Oh" Adam answered "Interesting. Can you even lie to me to defend this human? Who's she for you?"

"Nothing, I told you. Just a pastime to annoy the slayer. She hates when she doesn't have all under control"

"I can't believe I trusted you" Julien whispered half voice

"The prey arrived" Grahams intervened

"See? As dealt. The fish rose to the bait, so free me from the chip and let's greet ourselves, okay?"

All that story for the chip, that's why the blinds and the betray, the chip.

"_What did I expect for? He's a vampire"_

"She' not alone" Adam answered him pointing on the monitor Xander and the others "You failed"

Spike looked at Julien for a second before he rose his arms surrendered "At least I tried, you could pay me the same" as answer, Graham took him by his throat.

"Cut his head off" Adam ordered and hit Julien to the stomach, making her fall, the pain was terrible, the girl fell down again, she must have some broken ribs, Adam gave her another kick sending her to Graham's legs "And then kill the girlie too"

Julien pushed herself over her elbows coughing.

Spike put out the cigarette into his foe eye and got free easily, he lifted the girl from the ground effortless and carried her on his shoulder running out fast.

He stopped just a lot of aisles away, when it was clear that nobody was following them.

The vampire stopped and left her falling with a thud which made her groan for the pain.

"What the Hell did you wanna do? Do you wanna being killed?" he inveighed against her

"Don't dare!" she shouted, standing up and pointing her finger on his chest "You worked for Adam! Behind my back! You lied to me, betrayer! I can't believe it!"

"And so?" he asked, turning ease again, the astonishing thing was to see him really confused. Like Julien was enraged for an obvious thing.

"I'm a vampire, did you forget it? I lie, I steal, I kill… and so? It's my nature"

The brunette hit him so strong that she sent him against the wall, the noise of his head that bumped into the metal was quite satisfying, as the blood that flowed from his nose "Are you crazy?"

"No, well… I would say I've turned back to be sane. It was a foolish thing to trust on you, making you come into my house, treating you like a friend… I even paid you! And meanwhile you were plotting a way to kill me. You're disgusting"

Suddenly lights failed, snarls and battle's noises came from everywhere and the alarm started to ring.

"Listen I don't think it's the best time to argue, Adam opened all the cages, do you know what this means? If we want to come out alive it' better to work together"

Julien replied with a not very genteel gesture and she walked away through the aisles far from Spike, but the vampire seemed not to wanna catch the clue because he kept on following her silent.

They soon was in the middle of the battle, demons was slaughtering Enterprise's men.

Julien fought both parts, soldiers were easy to kill, but she had to take care in avoiding their weapons, demons were harder, the half of them was of unknown kind, she didn't even know how to kill them.

Struggling she went far from the vampire, but by the corner of her eye she could see sometimes his unmistakable hairs… not that she cared about it… they could even kill him, that slimy double dealer.

Anger gave her even more adrenalin, she kicked a soldier and turned back to face a demon.

Another caught her back and a vampire took advantage of it to hit her "Enjoy your meal" he whispered her putting down demon's face, he went nearer her throat in order to bite her, fear squeezed her stomach paralyzing her… would she die like that?

She didn't know why, but in that moment, without thinking about it, Julien shouted loud the most unexpected name "Spike!"

She half closed her eyes to protect herself from the bite's pain which luckily would never come, the caught around her neck vanished and the brunette fell down coughing, with her eyes full of tears for fear and pain "Are you okay?"

Spike looked around, the others was fighting undisturbed "We have to look for the slayer and hers… if we want to go out from here they're the best way" he took her under her arm in order to lift her and carried with him opening an escaping way through demons and soldiers "Look after humans" he ordered her "I'll think about the demons"

They fought opening a way through enemies, aisles turned soon out in a bigger hall, they were near the entrance.

Someone further on opened an escaping way into the lift hollow "That's the exit, let's move" Spike took her from her arm again trying to carry her toward the stairs but the girl wriggled.

She couldn't surely go away now.

The battle was yet began and she was the slayer, she had to stay there till the end "I can't go away without the others"

"Are you crazy? Look around, you'll never find them"

"You go if you want, but I stay here" she wasn't joking, she wasn't supposed to give up on it.

She began to go away but Spike reached for her "You're a crazy, you've always been" he passed an hand through his hairs, exasperate, taking her arm again and carried her opposite.

"Where are you going now? Leave me"

"Shut up, I'm helping you, you want to go to saving world miss and her heroes groupie, don't you? I'm leading you to them"

A bit further there was demons busy in demolishing a door, the vampire started to free of them easily and Julien helped even if she didn't understand…

The last could break down the door before the vampire get free of him, Spike followed him "Thank goodness I was defending the door! Are you all okay?"

Julien made room to herself and came in, sitting in circle there were all the others save and sound. And everybody was looking bad at Spike, clearly she wasn't the only one who understood his sordid plan.

"Adam?" Julien asked, she didn't want to face Spike trying to get out of damages, the red haired made a signal of victory "Buffy just killed him"

"It's a pity you lost all the fun…" Xander exclaimed "…it's been really cool!"

The blond chase that moment to come back into the room "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, we were following Adam and we ended up here" Spike explained with an incredible nerve, Julien looked bad at him

Could he lie even in that situation? And overall, was he sure she would cover him up?

"Seeing that you worked for him, it wouldn't be hard to find him" Xander said, but Spike didn't obviously let him catch red handed "You're joking! I pretended, I was an infiltrate, nothing more"

"And you hope that with this story we won't burn you to ashes…"

"Did I convince you?"

"I guess it's time to go now" Julien interfered

She was angry, but she wasn't ready to see the vampire vanish… even if she couldn't understand why she cared about his fate.

"Okay, let's go out"

Buffy leaded them out of the room, they helped the soldiers still alive to rescue, by now demons were caring about saving themselves than fighting too… the Enterprise was a project ended forever.

The others went to celebrate the victory, but Julien didn't make a spell which made her unable to get tired and exhaust like she was, she just wanted to sleep, so she refused the invitations and went home.

Spike vanished on thin air until they came out of the Enterprise, but now he was sat in her kitchen with a blood cup in his hands and the most innocent expression in the world.

"If it wasn't clear to you before, you're not welcome anymore here… go away" she told him cold going upstairs, she wouldn't forgive him.

Not this time. He went over. He was too dangerous.

Spike was a vampire, he didn't have any moral and this was a risk not just for her, but for everybody.

How much she could like him or think he was nice, she couldn't endanger the others

"Wait…" he followed her "Don't tell me you're upset with me for before. I thought we solved all"

Julien didn't even answer.

"Listen I know. I made a mistake. But he promised me to take the chip away! What else should I do? He would make me strong like before, he would make me become a vampire again and not that pathetical thing I am now… that's all. I couldn't refuse"

Julien ignored him, she locked herself into the bathroom, maybe he would get tired to talk alone.

"And more, I didn't betray you, not exactly. I promised to that guy just one slayer. Do you understand? Buffy and her buddies, it hasn't nothing to go with you. You know I never liked them"

"You tried to kill us all Spike… And now, go away!"

She went out the bathroom with the intention to go to sleep, but she stopped.

The vampire was sat on her bed, so she was strict to stand up… she wouldn't surely lay beside him.

"It's not true. I told you, you were out of the deal, so technically I didn't broke our deal"

Julien looked at him astonished

Was him serious? So, for him that was being faithful? Good to know!

"Don't look at me like that, it's true. That's because I didn't tell them who you are, I never revealed them that you are a slayer too"

"And what is this get to go with?"

"What? It gotta go! You're never been a target, Buffy was his only worrying. He didn't even know about your existence… it would be all good if you didn't show in his office that way"

"Make me understand… you wanted to kill Buffy, her friends, made him take the chip out, kill, have fun killing, kill and then? Come back to my home like nothing had changed? Pretend to still have the chip and maybe go on being paid? Or kill me while I was sleeping?"

"No!"

"So?"

"Well… I didn't think about it, okay? I just wanted him to put the chip off, that's all! I just wanted to be back a vampire worthy name I didn't think of what would happen then"

Spike bit his lip and lowed his eyes.

Julien sighed

Was a mistake to feel sad for him, to feel pity for a monster who moaned he couldn't kill people? Yes.. it had to be, but deep like Spike always repeated, she was crazy. And the vampire sat in front of them made her feel sad for him.

It had to be hard to fit in a world that's not yours. With rules you didn't know and didn't like.

She knew. Wasn't she a kind of freak of nature?

"You _are_ a vampire. Well, you're bad and scary… even like that"

Spike looked at her, not convinced at all "Let it go"

"I like you this way" she blushed

Spike smiled hardly "But you're a snotty and you're crazy too"

"But I pay you seven hundred dollars by month for how you are, if you would be a real vampire again I couldn't do it"

She sat on the border of the bed, they stayed like that, silent, one next to each other.

"So, am I still in damages?" the vampire asked after a few

"It depends. Would you like to give me your word that you will never try anymore something like that? That you'll never try anymore to kill Buffy?"

Spike fell on the bed, sighing "How much would you pay me?"

"What? I already pay you seven hundred dollars"

"That is for my help and not killing you"

"A hundred dollars"

"Oh come on! The slayer and her friends worth at least three hundred"

"What? Do you want a thousand dollars by month?"

"Why not? I like round"

Julien sighed. Why she could never tell him no?

"Ok, dealt, but if you try to betray me again I'll seriously kick you"

"Vampire word, wren"

"I'm going to take a shower" Julien said finally and Spike smiled, standing up "Do you want to see that terrible movie about vampires you like?"

"Hey! Lestat is an excellent vampire… he's nice, smart, funny… everybody would be like him"

"Yes, yes… it's an unreachable ideal for all of us"

"And don't forget it"

"I'm going to make the popcorn"

"Don't fill them with blood like always"

"Like all the chocolate you put on it is less disgusting" he went out mumbling.

Julien smiled going to the bathroom, she felt oddly happy.

At the end it seemed that the vampire got the initial sum of a thousand dollars.

But it wasn't too bad to give up sometimes.

Especially when she was fond of something.

Sunnydale wasn't so bad, it wasn't at all.

**tbc...**


End file.
